How Jacolby Satterwhite Transformed The Met’s Great Hall Into A Digital Dreamscape
In short: Artist Jacolby Satterwhite reimagined The Met’s historic Great Hall through a sprawling multi-channel video installation. By blending computer-generated landscapes with live performance, music, and hundreds of 3D-scanned artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection, Satterwhite created an immersive, futuristic environment that challenges our traditional experience of museum spaces.
In 2023, The Met unveiled its second Great Hall Commission, featuring the work of artist Jacolby Satterwhite. The project, titled A Metta Prayer, serves as a complex synthesis of digital art and physical performance. At its core, the installation utilizes a computer-generated landscape meant to evoke an imagined version of New York City, serving as a stage for a fusion of media. The project is notable for its technical ambition, incorporating three-dimensional animations alongside live-action sequences that bring the digital environment to life.
A central feature of the installation is its integration of the museum's own history. Satterwhite incorporated digital renderings of more than one hundred objects drawn from The Met’s permanent collection. These artifacts, sourced from diverse departments including Asian Art, The American Wing, and Arms and Armor, are recontextualized within the virtual space. The production process relied on advanced technology, including 3D scanning provided by NYCAP3D LLC, to bridge the gap between physical museum holdings and the artist’s digital vision.
The experience is further defined by its sensory layers. The installation is not merely visual; it incorporates original music composed by Satterwhite’s experimental band, PAT, alongside specific lighting designs. These elements support a series of live performances by Satterwhite and his collaborators, turning the Great Hall into a dynamic, evolving environment. The project, which was on view from October 2, 2024, through January 7, 2024, highlights the potential for contemporary artists to engage with institutional archives in ways that are both technologically innovative and deeply performative, effectively expanding the boundaries of what a museum commission can achieve.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Meet the Artist—The Great Hall Commission: Jacolby Satterwhite, A Metta Prayer | Met Exhibitions
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/ideas-meet-the-artist-the-great-hall-commission-jacolby-satterwhit.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
