Mars House, a virtual house created by digital artist Krista Kim and including a music collaboration with Jeff Schroeder of the Smashing Pumpkins, is now open to the public for unique virtual experiences. Mars House made history as the first digital home to be sold as an NFT – for the equivalent of more than $500,000 – back in March.
Guests will be able to create their own avatars and attend events in Mars House through Spatial VR, which can be accessed via most VR headsets and provides high quality graphics for a truly immersive experience. Those without the necessary hardware will also be able to join directly from their browser.
Visitors will have two options when it comes to how they experience the home: intimate programming curated by Kim, or buy-out options for events such as weddings, family reunions, corporate retreats and more. The curated programming will include tours of the house led by Kim for those interested in learning more about the virtual reality art space and the artist’s inspirations firsthand.
“Mars House has become an iconic venue in VR for private events,” says Kim. On June 17th, the virtual venue hosted the first BLAP Music Session with Grammy Award-winning producer !llmind, who welcomed 20 musicians “to share their music and learn more about the industry.” Tickets for the event were sold as NFTs.
“It’s easier to collaborate with musicians and artists in the virtual space because there are travel restrictions [in the real world] and Spatial really offers more human interaction between guests in VR,” explains Kim. “We can also make video presentations, take selfies, write notes, and have private conversations within groups with spatial audio settings. It truly feels as if you are on an interstellar world on Mars House VR.”
In July, Jeff Schroeder of the Smashing Pumpkins will lead meditative music sessions in Mars House. “We are selling limited edition Krista Kim x Jeff Schroeder NFTs that unlock access to the Mars House for these events, which is a great way to bring our community of collectors into Mars House for memorable experiences.”
In addition to these scheduled events, Kim shares that Mars House has been booking private viewings, movie film shoots, and music events. She views the venue as “a space for all to come to escape the harsh realities of our current moment,” and expects virtual programming within Marsh House to continue far beyond the pandemic.