The “Viral Human. Public Art and Metaverse” catalogue describes a wide project which obtained the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, the Venice Academy Fine Arts, the MUVE Venice city, the “Benedetto Marcello” Conservatory, the Ugo and Olga Levi Foundation, and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.

“Viral Human” is a site-specific installation composed of 9 sound stages ideally located on Jacopo de’ Barbari’s map, traveling parallelly between two eras: the Plague of 1575-77 in Venice and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Through this comparison, a “bridge narrative” was crafted between two seemingly different historical moments, yet surprisingly similar in their attempts to halt the virus’s spread. The listening journey, facilitated by headphones or earphones, is made accessible through specific markers activated via geolocation, providing visitors with an interactive and immersive listening experience.

“Public Art and Metaverse” involved 68 artists from all over the world to participate in the first international site-specific exhibition spread within the virtual perimeter of the city of Venice. The judging committee was chaired by the world-famous Fabrizio Plessi and involved significant figures including the conductor Carlo Boccadoro, the director of the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory, and the director of the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice.

The project is visible within the MiRNArte mobile app.