Special Programs

Beyond Reality 2026 presents new forms of immersive experiences that connect the real and virtual worlds through audience-participatory new media programs and international special exhibitions.
Through a variety of programs combining urban spaces, XR technologies, and interactive media art, audiences are invited to go beyond passive viewing and directly explore stories and environments from within.

Main Project: Portal 30 + Participatory Web-AR Experience

Participating Artists / Production Partners: Everywhere & Studio Realive ¡¿ Culture Connection (supported through the Gyeonggi Content Agency program)

Centered around Portal 30, created by the media artist collective Everywhere, this participatory program allows audiences to enter a virtual world by scanning QR codes with their smartphones. Through AR content and cinematic scenes developed by Culture Connection and Studio Realive, visitors can journey through Bucheon¡¯s past and future while becoming part of the narrative themselves.

Venue

Bucheon City Hall Lawn Plaza

K-POP Concert VR Experience

Artist / IP Partner: SM Entertainment ¡¤ Studio Realive (Final lineup of top-tier K-POP artists currently under discussion)

Approximately 50 audience members simultaneously wear VR headsets and experience performances by leading K-POP artists in a shared virtual environment. Developed in collaboration with Studio Realive of SM Entertainment, the program combines high-definition live concert footage with interactive viewing features, creating a next-generation performance format that merges fandom culture with collective theatrical viewing.

Venue

Fantastic Cube, Bucheon City Hall

DeoVR Platform Exhibition

Partner / Content Collaboration: DeoVR (technical support provided by its Korea division)

In partnership with DeoVR, the world¡¯s leading immersive content platform, this open XR lounge offers visitors of all ages a relaxing space to experience the future of cinema. Curated content includes children's animation, immersive nature explorations, and 360-degree performances. Visitors can enjoy personalized interactive viewing experiences through VR headsets as well as tablets and mobile devices.

Venue

1F Lobby, Bucheon City Hall

Dates

July 3 (Fri) - July 5 (Sun)
July 10 (Fri) - July 12 (Sun)
(Weekend-focused operation)

Hours

10:30 AM - 4:30 PM

XR Performance: Free UR Head XR Performance

Artist: Very Theatre (Taiwan)

This hybrid performance combines live action with XR technologies, creating an expanded stage where physical and virtual environments operate simultaneously. Audiences encounter a new form of performance experience that transcends conventional stage boundaries.

Venue

Bucheon City Hall Lawn Plaza
Included as part of ¡°Performance Day¡± on Sunday, July 5.

Interactive Media Art: Analemma

Artist: Yasuhiro Chida

A large-scale installation in which visitors move through monumental structures of light and thread, experiencing the order of the cosmos firsthand. Combining light, space, movement, and audience interaction, this immersive media artwork encourages visitors to navigate within the installation and engage with the entire environment as a sensory and spatial narrative.

Venue

Bucheon Art Bunker B39

Global Collaboration: Sanrio Virtual Festival Special Exhibition

Artists: Jong Tan Kei (Wish Upon a Lustrous Dream), Kiyoshi Torazo (Torazo & cuber~ & Fujito), Kaoru Naito (Ryugu)

Presented in collaboration with the Sanrio Virtual Festival, this special program showcases global virtual content projects and XR collaborative works. Through experiences combining virtual characters and interactive technologies, audiences can explore new forms of sensory engagement that move seamlessly between reality and virtuality.

Venue

Bucheon Art Bunker B39

French XR Focus: François Vautier Retrospective

Artist: François Vautier

Commemorating the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, this special section highlights major works by French XR artist Fran?ois Vautier. Featuring VR experiences and dome-screen works, the exhibition explores his distinctive audiovisual universe centered on space, perception, and the flow of imagery. The exhibition at Bucheon Art Bunker B39 will be presented in conjunction with dome screenings at the Bucheon Astronomical Science Museum.

Venue

Bucheon Art Bunker B39
Planetarium, Bucheon Astronomical Science Museum

Quebec Special Section

Artists / Teams: Après minuit, PAYSAGE, Emeline Courcier

This international special section introduces XR and new media works from Qu?bec, Canada. Through immersive narratives, interactive technologies, and innovative audiovisual approaches, the program presents the experimental spirit and artistic trends of North American new media creation to Korean audiences.

Venue

Bucheon Art Bunker B39