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8 March - 20 April

Free Exhibition

From early AI explorations in the 1980s to Virtual Reality (VR) in the 1990s, to virtual world creation in the 2000s, and portable VR in the 2010s, GLOW: Illuminating Innovation (8 March – 20 April) chronicles the often-overlooked impact of women on the evolution of technology as part of the GLoW3 project.

Locations:

Viewing times: 10:00–18:00, Mon - Fri

The exhibition will also be open on the following Saturdays:

Sat 9 March- 10:00 -17:00
Sat 23 March- 10:00 -17:00
Sat 6 April- 10:00 -17:00
Sat 20 April 10:00 -16:00

The evolution of digital creativity and innovation, led by women

Curated by King’s College London Professor of Screen Media, Sarah Atkinson, the exhibition presents first of their kind historical works, new digital art commissions and a programme of interactive augmented and virtual reality experiences, to illuminate and inspire visitors' minds and senses.

GLOW celebrates many historically significant pieces, including the first ever virtual reality documentary Hunger in LA (2012) by Nonny de la Peña - ‘Godmother of VR’ - and the first experimentations with virtual and augmented reality eyewear.

Exhibits and experiences across The Arcade, Bush House, Strand Aldwych and the Curiosity Cabinet showcase the transformative work of ten key emergent media innovators: Rebecca Allen, Donna Cox, Nonny de la Peña, Toni Dove, Claudia Hart, Margaret Minsky, Ellen Sandor, Nicole Stenger, Tamiko Thiel, and Peggy Weil. 

New artist commissions

Four brand new commissions from international artists Violeta Ayala, Yarli Allison, Lisa Jamhoury and Rebecca Smith also feature. Interactive AI-generated portraits, 3D printed animal robots, virtual sculptures, light and sound installations and a webXR clinic all burst into to (virtual and augmented) life when connected with data, humans, and mobile phones.

Bookable GLOW experiences

Interactive and immersive experiences including Rebecca Smith’s Second Nature installation in St Mary le Strand church (11-13 March), Spotlight on VR (various dates), Angel VR (10 April) and walking tours (various dates), will run throughout GLOW, and can be booked, for free, in advance.  

Entry to the exhibition and all experiences is free. We advise booking interactive and immersive experiences in advance.

Explore the full programme in more detail. 

Use the event links below to book your experiences.