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Friday, May 1, 2026
Exterior photo of the astronomical observation station in Antartica showing a large tower and buildings in the snow.
Dome A in Antarctica Is the best site for optical astronomical observation on Earth. Credit: SHANG Zhaohui

UNT xREZ Director Ruth West Explores Public VR Design in Distinguished Lecture

Ruth is facing forward and smiling. She has long brown hair with bangs.
Professor Ruth West, Ph.D.

May 2026 — Ruth West, professor and director of the UNT xREZ Art and Science Lab, was selected as the 2026 distinguished lecturer for the IMMERSE Seminar Series at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

 
West presented “Beyond the Headset: Social and Spatial Design for Public VR,” a lecture exploring the design of her interactive multiplayer VR installation, “INSTRUMENT | One Antarctic Night,” which transforms astronomical data from Antarctica into an immersive experience of light, sound and collaborative performance.
 
The project draws from more than 758 million data points collected by telescopes at Dome A, Antarctica — one of the clearest places on Earth to observe space because of its long winter darkness, stable atmosphere and minimal light pollution. The installation reimagines virtual reality as a shared public experience, inviting spectators and participants alike into an evolving environment shaped by scientific discovery and artistic interaction.
Virtual reality image depicting objects in space made from data points in a black sky with various shapes, colors and lights.
Dr. West's image depicts objects in space created by data points allowing viewers to see the previously unseen through VR rather than traveling to Dome A, which has an average annual temperature of −68ºF.
 
Developed in collaboration with astrophysicist Lifan Wang and an international research team, the project uses real astronomical data collected during one full Antarctic night to create a new form of immersive storytelling.
 
Located in the UNT Art Building, the xREZ Art and Science Lab is an interdisciplinary research lab founded in 2006. The name xREZ is short for cross-resonance, representing the lab's mission to bridge the gap between art and science to explore new technologies. The lab specializes in Extended Reality (XR), immersive full-body virtual reality, 3D audio and data visualization.
 
The project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.