We interview Artistic Director Jamie Whitlow about the upcoming exhibit

Imagine you are part of an experiment. A tech company has developed a new technology that takes the audience’s imagination, dreams and thoughts to create a collective dreamworld! What will your thoughts create? How does technology affect your thoughts of yourself, of others?

That’s the idea behind OtherWorld Encounter, an immersive art exhibit inspired by Meow Wolf which plans to combine elements of escape rooms, XR, and physical installations, coming soon to Nashville, Tennessee.

We spoke to Artistic Director Jamie Whitlow over email about bringing OtherWorld Encounter to life.

No Proscenium (NP): Could you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Jamie Whitlow (JW): My name is Jamie Whitlow, I am a co-founder and artistic director of OtherWorld Encounter. I have a B.S. in Art Practices from Middle Tennessee State University. I started out my professional artistic encounters as primarily a painter, live painting at events and selling works at both local and regional showcases. I have spent the past few years traveling the country to create murals and interactive art installations for music festivals. Within my experience creating art for music festivals, I have learned the immense impact that interactive art has on live events.

NP: What, in a nutshell, is this project about?

JW: This project is about incorporating state-of-the-art technologies with interactive art, to create a unique and approachable experience for audiences that have not seen anything like this before.

NP: How did the project come about? Why make an immersive art experience?

JW: Earlier this year, my mother Sheila visited Meow Wolf, one of the most well-known immersive art experiences in the country. Knowing my experience creating interactive art for festivals, we began having conversations of what it would look like if we were to create an immersive art experience in the Southeast, and what unique spin we could put on it to set ourselves apart from the others. Aside from just the profound successes of these sorts of experiences, we began thinking of how this could genuinely change the creative economy, by providing artists with paid and sustainable work.

Immersive art experiences are the new frontier for art, because people want to participate in things that they feel as if they are a part of.

And with OtherWorld Encounter, we believe we are opening the door for this type of participation within both an audience, and the many artists contributing to this.

NP: Who are your collaborators?

My parents, Sheila and K.C. Whitlow, as well as Earl and AnnaLee Kelly, and Joseph Newsome, are all fellow co-founders of this company and project. I have worked closely with Earl and AnnaLee for several years now within their collective, METAnoia Art Galaxy. Joseph crossed paths with us as we began this project, sharing a similar vision and dream. All of our various backgrounds and expertise has created such an interesting dynamic with tons of perspective to draw from.

Aside from that, we have formed a collective, that we have named Nashville’s OWN (OtherWorld Network.) These members include Alex Patin, Brian Somerville, Christopher Strachan, Jessi Knight, Julien Foster, Kay Kennedy, Matt Kinney, Ralph Edge, Sandor Torgyik, and Taylor Matson. Every member of Nashville’s OWN is multifaceted in their talents, in fields such as app development, AR/VR development, digital animation, graphic design, audio engineering, sculpture, film, photography, and much more.

Trailer for OtherWorld Encounter

NP: How is technology being incorporated into the work?

OtherWorld Encounter revolves around a central storyline, that is introduced as soon as you enter the experience. Much of the technology is incorporated within this storyline, such as a “secret room” that you must find clues to enter, that holds our virtual reality experience. Other technologies are directly incorporated within the art, such as interactive projection mapping that is projected physical art installations. The incorporation of the technology throughout the installation mostly involves combining the technology with a physically created work of art.

NP: As this work is being developed what influences did the team find itself coming back to?

Meow Wolf is definitely one of our most prominent influences. Their story is incredibly inspiring, and their exhibit has legitimately changed the way in which we experience and participate with art. We have also gained insight and research from other pop-up experiences such as 29Rooms and Museum of Ice Cream. However, along with all of the wonderful influence we have gained from these other experiences, we have also gained insight on the unique experience we will be providing by incorporating technology in such a prominent way.

NP: How do you hope people engage with Otherworld Encounter?

I hope that people come to experience this event, and that it opens their eyes to what art can be. I hope it inspires people for the future of art and technology, and the amazing things that can be created when the two are used together. We are in such an interesting time in history, with technology changing so fast, and I think such rapid change can cause some distress and anxiety in people about the future. But I hope this can at least provide people with an idea that these changes are progressing us, and opening the doors to an immense amount of possibilities in the world of creation.

NP: Who is the ideal audience member for this show?

The ideal audience member is someone who is ready to explore, play, and experience something they’ve never seen before, with a completely open mind.

NP: What do you hope participants take away from this experience?

First off, I hope that participants leave this experience with a new perspective on the possibilities of art in general, and what it can mean to experience art in a completely interactive way.

Secondly, I want participants, both within the art community and outside of it, see the amazing things that can be created when artists are given the treatment and compensation that they deserve for their creativity and hard work.

OtherWorld Encounter will take place December 28 — January 13 in Nashville. Tickets are $16–25.

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This month we’d also like to thank The Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts for sponsoring our features.

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