Björk and

James Merry

Björk Digital

An immersive virtual reality exhibition from Icelandic icon Björk.

Björk constantly and consistently challenges the status quo, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in music, art and technology. The exhibition at Somerset House invites visitors to engage with her work through the latest in virtual reality (VR) technology.

​

Black Lake, Björk’s groundbreaking immersive film commissioned by the New York’s Museum of Modern Art treats audiences to panoramic visuals and envelops you in

a bespoke, cutting edge surround-sound system. Filmed in the highlands of Iceland, the work was directed by the Los Angeles-based filmmaker Andrew Thomas Huang. Huang also collaborated with Björk on Stonemilker VR, a project that transports the viewer to a private performance of the first track from Björk’s critically acclaimed Vulnicura album. Shot on location on a remote, windswept beach in Iceland and viewable in full 360-degree VR, the viewer is able to experience a one-to-one recital.

​

For Mouthmantra VR Björk worked with director Jesse Kanda to capture intense footage from inside her mouth while she sings the title track, her teeth and tongue twisting and seemingly taking on a life of their own. Meanwhile, Notget VR, directed by Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones, presents Björk as a digital moth giantess transformed by stunning masks created by artist James Merry.

​

The exhibition include an interactive educational space which showcases the innovative apps Biophilia, an app created by Björk that explores music, nature and technology.

​

A programme of Björk’s extensive video workis screened alongside the exhibition, spanning the artist’s 24-year career and her collaborations with film directors including the award winning Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Nick Knight and Stephane Sedanaoui.