MARIJA ALEKSIĆ AND DAVID MAĐAR, INTERACTION XR TEAMIN CONVERSATION WITH PREDRAG TERZIĆ

We recently had the chance to speak with Predrag, a Belgrade-born painter whose work bridges rigorous academic research and an active international artistic practice.

After completing his studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade under Professor Čedomir Vasić, Predrag went on to earn both a Master’s degree and a PhD in the Theory of Art and Media at the University of Arts, guided by Professor Divna Vuksanović. Alongside his academic path, he became a member of the Association of Fine Artists of Serbia (ULUS), marking his place in the country’s vibrant art community.

What stands out in his career is the breadth of his exhibitions—23 solo shows and over 40 group exhibitions, spanning from Serbia to Canada, Austria, Italy, Sweden, and beyond. His works are housed in numerous private collections, attesting to the resonance his art finds with audiences across different cultures.

Virtual Reality and Inclusion: Empowering People with Disabilities through Contemporary Artistic Practices

What is the connection between artistic practices and accessibility in Virtual Reality?

Virtual Reality is gradually changing the way we understand artistic space today. When we speak about traditional art, it relies on visual and physical accessibility, while VR introduces the possibility of becoming radically inclusive – liberated from the constraints of gallery space and the body. We can mention John Hull’s project “Notes on Blindness: Into Darkness” (2016), a VR experience that conveys the experience of blindness through soundscapes and spatial orientation. This approach to projects shows that accessibility is not only an ethical issue but also an aesthetic one – inclusion generates new forms of perception and transforms art into a space of collective experience.

Do you think that VR devices and assistive technologies will become part of everyday life for people with disabilities, and in what way could they empower them?

I believe and hope that such broader application and possibility exists, because life will be greatly facilitated for one part of our population. Here I would mention Rosi Braidotti and her theory of the “posthuman body” from her book “The Posthuman” (2013) – technology does not function as a mere addition to the body but as its extended configuration. In accordance with this stance and thinking, VR headsets, in this sense, become part of an extended sense organ, a tool through which a person with disabilities can transform their experience of space. I would like to mention the project “Wheelchair VR” (VR4VR Collective) which allows wheelchair users to simulate movement through different architectural environments – not only as rehabilitation but as a creative act, constructing personal narratives through motion. Through this approach, VR can empower users by making disability not a limitation but a starting point for new ways of imagining the world.

Should inclusive VR/XR projects be an integral part of contemporary art festivals, and why?

It can be said that contemporary art festivals function more or are more oriented toward being laboratories of possible futures now. In other words, without inclusive VR/XR practices, we lose the chance to rethink art from the broader perspective of human experience. For instance, the Speculum Artium festival already experiments with inclusive works that combine VR and biometric data to create experiences accessible to people with different sensory profiles. These works not only include people with disabilities but also pose the question: what does it mean to experience art when the body and perception are not uniform but diverse? In this sense, inclusion becomes a generator of new artistic languages.

How did you feel the first time you experienced an inclusive VR artwork designed to challenge or expand human perception?

It reminded me of Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s words about the body as the “primary site of perception.” In VR, especially when the artwork is designed with multiple sensory approaches, we realize that the body is not a limitation but a field of possibility. What moved me most and made me think more about VR as an artistic work was “Medusa ” by artist Sara Tirelli. Through her work, the artist made me not only connected to the events I was witnessing but also perceive the entire environment of moving images from a different angle.

How do you think VR/XR could transform educational and cultural institutions towards greater accessibility to art for people with disabilities?

If we understand educational and cultural institutions as “spaces of knowledge,” VR enables them to become radically open. The Louvre VR Experience, for example, already offers digital tours, but if integrated with tools for visually impaired visitors (tactile interfaces, AI-driven audio guides), the museum would become universally accessible. In artistic practice, projects like “Virtual Worlds for All” (Serpentine Galleries, 2021) explore exactly this idea – how virtual worlds can transform education and culture towards inclusivity. This means that VR should not be seen as an addition but as a space in which institutions can be redefined through the perspective of accessibility.

What would be your advice to young VR/XR artists who want to create inclusive and accessible experiences?

What to say about today’s environment and current situation, when it is very difficult to find a space of normalcy. Perhaps it would be good to somehow not view inclusion as a limitation but as a possibility for action. We have experiences from the past few months that you should work in collaboration with communities – art is indeed a process of togetherness, teamwork, communication and action, not isolated authorship. Feel free to experiment with “multisensory aesthetics” – ask yourself how a work can be experienced through sound, light, touch, movement, or even smell. An example is “The Tactile Orchestra” (Studio Roosegaarde), which translates music into bodily vibrations. Such projects show that inclusion can open entirely new artistic horizons and push the boundaries of what we call the experience of art.

On the other hand, it’s important to be aware of the challenges that still exist: high costs of VR equipment can limit access, technological literacy is not equally distributed, and cultural resistance to new media can be a barrier in traditional institutions. Also, creating truly accessible VR experiences requires an interdisciplinary approach and deep understanding of different types of disabilities, which can present a challenge for artists who want to work independently. I would like to emphasize that it’s important to have someone to work and create with – alone in today’s environment, you will find it very difficult to make your work visible. Try to organize and share the opportunities before you, because then there’s a chance for a better tomorrow and a different perspective.