Virtual 3D Gallery

UCB and FleishmanHillard approached us to create a centrepiece for their Expressing Epilepsy awareness campaign. So we got to work and created something we feel does justice to the estimated 50 million people globally affected by epilepsy. 

The Expressing Epilepsy Exhibition.

Art’s a powerful visual medium that can capture a range of human experiences, and they wanted to “celebrate the creativity, strength and humanity of the epilepsy community”. So we built a light-yet-cosy and inviting space that tied in with the campaign’s visual themes and motifs.

The benches are shaped like neurons, which can become overstimulated and cause seizures, while the sculpted central chandelier, pastel hues and watercolour splashes represent the emotions and experiences of epilepsy.

When a user enters, an orbiting animation takes them around the gallery before releasing them to explore on their own. The octagonal shape gives us facets to display each piece of artwork, and the large window fills the space with light. 

Users click on each piece to trigger a fly-through animation and see it up close, and the + symbol brings up information about the artist. The space contains six painted artworks and one video showing the artist in her studio, creating her tapestry and discussing her journey.

The eighth side of the octagon leads to a screening room where users can interact with the giant screen, submit their own artwork for moderation, and see others’ submissions.

Building a 3D environment that was both detailed and accessible posed some challenges. 

For example, the exhibition needs to run flawlessly in any browser to be safe for viewers with epilepsy. That means no flickering, no flashing transitions and no juddering movement. But at the same time, the artwork and the environment need to look their best to leave a mark.

But we love a challenge, so we turned to Gaussian Splatting, a fairly new technique for the next generation of virtual tools.

Unlike ‘normal’ 3D models made of individually coloured and textured polygons, Gaussian Splatting creates a point cloud of the space to layer the visuals on top of. The result is a lightweight but incredibly detailed environment that we can then add navigation, control points and assets to.

Achieving the same level of fidelity using traditional methods would have made it far too big to work on many devices. When the main purpose of the exhibition is to raise awareness and be seen around the world, that was never going to work.

The results speak for themselves. The exhibition offers a window into lives shaped by epilepsy, and the artworks are already sparking conversations, generating engagement and challenging expectations.

We’ve worked with major brands and organisations around the world, helping them embrace the virtual age and transform how they connect with, communicate to and inspire new audiences. 

View our latest work to find out more, and if you have an exciting project to bring to life, whether it’s a campaign asset, virtual sales tool or branded experience, contact us today to find out how Circus can help.