IRL’s mission is to empower a more diverse population of artists to use digital technology in their work, to create a dedicated space for public engagement with cutting-edge digital artworks, and to encourage artists to repurpose emerging and ubiquitous digital technologies in creative and unexpected ways.
IRL is an artist-led incubator for creative experimentation with new technologies. IRL serves as a production space for artists working in digital media and is outfitted with virtual reality, motion tracking, video projection, and other specialized equipment. IRL curates exhibitions in emerging media and facilitates a monthly salon for digital artists to show, share, and discuss their work.
Our goals are to increase diversity in the digital arts, build community, showcase local and distant digital artists, and expose Texans to alternative creative applications of emerging technologies. IRL is committed to increasing diversity among artists who use digital technology, and emphasizes support for artists who have previously been excluded from opportunities to access and engage with digital tools. An extended community of artists has ready access to IRL’s technology collections for production and exhibition, which lowers the financial barriers that often frustrate emerging artists’ ability to use digital tools in their work. IRL also connects artists to volunteers with technical expertise to help them gain essential skills.