What does an artist who lives in both virtual and real worlds see in her eyes? Special Interview with Aimi Sekiguchi

Profile

◉Aimi Sekiguchi

VR/AR/MR/NFT Artist. CEO of MUSOU Inc. Member of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Study Group on Creating a Creator Economy in the Web 3.0 Era" and the Cabinet Office Intellectual Property Secretariat's "Public-Private Collaboration Conference on Addressing New Legal Issues Surrounding Content on the Metaverse." She has been doing 3D paintings on the metaverse since 2016, and in March 2021, her own digital art was sold at an NFT auction for approximately 13 million yen. In the same year, she was selected as one of the "Forbes Japan 100." While producing a wide variety of artworks as a VR artist, she is expanding her scope of activity by performing VR performances not only in Japan but also overseas.

Please tell us again what kind of activities you are currently involved in.

Sekiguchi Aimi (hereinafter referred to as Sekiguchi): Since 2016, I have been creating art and performing live painting as an artist who paints 360-degree 3D pictures in VR spaces. Since the VR space becomes my canvas, I think of it as creating another world digitally, rather than painting a picture.

I heard that you are expanding the scope of your activities from VR to XR. What is the main difference between XR and VR?

Sekiguchi: In the so-called metaverse, there are various things such as AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), and MR (Mixed Reality). AR is a technology that allows users to see Pokemon appear in the real world through their smartphones, like Pokemon GO.

MR is also called mixed reality, and is a technology that is more compatible and mixes reality and virtuality, making it possible to incorporate virtual elements into reality.

These technologies are collectively called XR (Extended Reality). I often call myself a VR artist so that people of all ages and genders can easily understand.

Here's a slightly complicated example: Apple Vision Pro technology is called "Spatial Computing" and is proposed as a new category different from VR and AR. When I create art using Apple Vision Pro, I call myself a Spatial Artist (laughs).

In an interview with our magazine last year, you said that you first learned about VR through an interview with a certain media outlet. What does VR and the metaverse mean to you now?

Sekiguchi: I first experienced VR through an interview and was amazed by its fun and potential. The more I learned about VR, the more I understood that it is not just entertainment, but a way to provide people with new experiences and perspectives.

It is also a wonderful thing for creators, and it can be used as a tool to give people the opportunity to become a different person, for example, people with social phobia can move freely in VR, and it can also be used as a way for elderly people to expand their range of activities and connect with the world.

VR Soba Shop Tanabe learned about VR while working at a soba shop, and uses it to create his own productions. He married a Canadian woman he met in VR, and now works in VR. In this way, VR and the metaverse can enrich people's lives and create new connections.

I also hold an event every year with a person with ALS. The person controls a VJ with his gaze and collaborates with me to do live painting. He is engaged in creative activities that go beyond physical limitations, such as designing clothes and composing music using only his gaze. I hope to use the power of entertainment to accelerate the penetration of such technology.

It is being used in various fields such as education, medicine, and business. For example, refugee children can now receive the same education, and doctors in remote areas can examine patients.

The metaverse can be used for the benefit of humanity in a wide range of areas, so it is expected to be used to help make society more equal and fair.