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Are you a fan of dragons? 🐉

As we celebrate the Lunar New Year and welcome in the Year of the Dragon we feature Ivan Sun in our People who make the DIF series .

Ivan Sun is a Malaysian-born, Bendigo-based multimedia artist, software engineer, and educator who has bridged the gap between software engineering and real-world applications.

His portfolio encompasses a range of multimedia art, virtual reality experiences, creative workshops and projects that integrate art, technology and education. After relocating to Bendigo in 2020, he engaged with the local creative and tech community through initiatives like ACMI Emporium Creative Hub 's incubator and Startup Central Victoria 's pre-accelerator program.

Recently, Ivan secured a grant from Regional Arts Victoria for a collaboration with the Golden Dragon Museum . His mission? To channel his creative prowess to narrate the tale of Loong, the world's oldest surviving Imperial Processional Dragon.

We sat down with Ivan ahead of his event, Muse of Dragons - The (Virtual) Story of Loong , to learn about his creative and technological process. Image: Muse of Dragons - The (Virtual) Story of Loong

Can you share how your background as a software engineer and educator has influenced your approach to multimedia art and virtual reality? There is a formidable set of technical requirements for developing work in virtual reality, and the skillbase required is ever-evolving and improving. My background does provide advantages for working in this area. I tend to be more generalised in my VR technical uptake for now, to learn a wide range of skills so that I can work more independently though I do not discount studio work or other collaboration moving forwards.

My background helps me identify any current limitations and to create works within what I can do. Conversely, if there is a set project objective, I have confidence in identifying the different elements, then approaching the goal step by step.

Apart from this, as an educator of over 20 years, I hope to create works that inspire the audience about the wonders of the human imagination.

What sparked your interest in combining technology and art to create virtual reality experiences, particularly focusing on the Chinese dragons at Bendigo's museum? For my current project with Bendigo's Golden Dragon Museum , there was wonderful timing involved. I have a passion for modelling heritage 19th century architecture in my virtual projects, so I was on the phone with a coordinator from Regional Arts Victoria (RAV), pitching ideas for the next round of grant funding. Coincidentally, the Golden Dragon Museum CEO had recently asked RAV about artists who can create new and innovative works relating to the museum collection. So, the RAV coordinator encouraged me to talk to the museum, great advice which I promptly followed up on.

The CEO listened to my pitch about Bendigo architecture then told me that what the museum board really wanted was someone to tell the story of their most prized artifacts, the processional dragons. It took me a minute or two to have a "eureka moment!" A digital work telling the story of the processional dragons would involve them parading within a backdrop of Victorian architecture...

The RAV funded project I'm working on is centred on Loong, the world's oldest surviving intact imperial processional dragon that resides in the museum. I will be delivering three elements: a digital interactive quiz for the museum visitors, a short documentary film and with other creative collaborators, a sound experience for the visually impaired.

Could you tell us more about your company, the Bauhaus Metaverse? Inspired by the ethos and the creative energy of the historic Bauhaus school in the Weimar republic, I founded the Bauhaus Metaverse for new VR-based projects: art works, experiences and software products that integrate art, technology and education.

Some of my previous virtual reality art installations have been centered around working with virtual communities where I coordinated art and virtual museum installations where I not only produced new work, but also mentored others to learn new creative or 3d modeling techniques.

The Bauhaus Metaverse has a trademark pending. I hope we will launch when this is finalised!

Image: Bauhaus Metaverse VR-scape

Virtual reality is a relatively new medium for artistic expression. How do you see it changing or enhancing the way audiences interact with and experience art? Companies that sell hardware (or software or platforms) tend to redefine virtual reality to align with what they are offering, as part of their marketing.

As detailed in the 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash by the American writer Neal Stephenson, virtual reality can range from a flat screen video display to an environment deployed using special glasses or goggles.

What matters more than technology or the realism of the VR details, is how the experience touches the hearts and minds of the audience.

Bendigo has a reputation as an innovative town which has both a rich history of art and technology. What do you think makes Bendigo unique in terms of art and technology? As an 'edtech creative' working in regional Victoria, I have benefitted from different programs like ACMI's Emporium Creative Hub incubator program, and Startup Central Victoria's pre-accelerator program. There is a strong sense of interest and willingness to support the work of newcomers from established industry members as well as peers.

Credit to the wonderful individuals behind those two programs I mentioned for helping me connect with local industry leaders and practitioners and helping me find the collaborators I need for my projects to thrive.

Find out more about attending Muse of Dragons - The (Virtual) Story of Loong , presented by Golden Dragon Museum and La Trobe Art Institute, Bendigo on Saturday , 10 Februrary 2024 2:00 PM - 3:00

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