John Fitzgerald
The Creative Technologist Pushing the Boundaries of VR
An artist and creative technologist, John Fitzgerald is the co-founder and creative director of Sensorium, an experiential studio pushing the boundaries of VR, AR, and immersive technologies. Drawing from a diverse background of influences, including journalism, cinema, theater and game design, Sensorium engages audiences across both physical and digital spaces. Original projects from the studio have premiered at Sundance, Tribeca, Venice and IDFA DocLab, and John and his co-founder, photojournalist Matthew Niederhauser, have worked with clients/partners from Google, Samsung and Apple to MIT Media Lab, World Expo Dubai, MoMA and The New York Times. John is also a visiting artist at the MIT Center for Arts, Science, and Technology, a mentor at NEW INC, the New Museum’s incubator where Sensorium was founded, and a Pulitzer Center Grantee.
Projects
Hamlet 360: Thy Father’s Spirit brings Shakespeare’s most renowned tragedy to vivid 3D life, casting the viewer as the ghost of Hamlet’s father. The 60-minute, 360-degree adaptation, which can be watched using a VR headset or a desktop or mobile device, lets you look on as Gertrude puts on makeup in her bedroom or Laertes practices with his sword. You’ll even see your own reflection in the mirror, appearing haggard, bloody and, well, dead. In 2020, Sensorium collaborated on Metamorphic, a social VR experience where the participant’s body becomes a vehicle for expression within majestically drawn worlds. The studio is also known for their companion VR experience to George Saunders’ Lincoln in the Bardo (directed by Graham Sack), where the viewer is placed in a graveyard as ghosts approach from all angles.
