*By Amanda Weston*
Artist Shepard Fairey prefers his work to be viewed in person ー but if it can't be, there's always VR.
Fairey ー best known for his iconic 2008 poster of then-candidate Barack Obama's face above the word "Hope" ー said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar that he's bringing his largest solo exhibition to the global masses with the launch of a new virtual-reality app, DAMAGED, which allows users to get much closer to his work.
The virtual exhibit was developed in partnership with Fairey by VR app developer VRt Ventures. CEO and founder Jacob Koo said the idea came from a desire to capture exhibits and share them widely.
"In this app you can actually go right up and see the same level of detail, almost as if you were there in person," Fairey said. "It's exceptional."
"Once I saw an original demo of what was possible, I realized that this is really, really powerful," Fairey said. "This is far better than seeing a slideshow of images."
But turning an in-person exhibition into an augmented experience was no small task.
Koo said the process took 10 months.
"We captured everything exactly the way Shepard intended it," he said. "Volumetric photogrammetry, laser scanning ー we took about 15,000 images, pictures to be able to use as basically wallpaper to give people the immersive experience."
During the one-month show in Los Angeles in 2017, Fairey was able to discuss his work with guests, which is an experience usually lost when fans view his art online after a show closes.
But DAMAGED is designed to include that context with more than 100 minutes of narration about the 230 pieces voiced by Fairey himself. He addresses topics including racism, sexism, xenophobia, and environmental destruction.
"This is not the interpretation of others," Fairey said. "This is actually me talking about the work."
"Shepard is amazing," Koo said. "He gives a voice to so many people who don't have a voice."
DAMAGED is available for download on the iOS App Store and Google Play store for Android for $4.99. It's also available on Oculus, Samsung Gear, and Steam.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/virtual-reality-brings-shepard-fairey-exhibit-worldwide).
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