The next generation of art, culture and social interaction will be expressed through mediums that blend the physical and digital worlds — also known as mixed reality. And we envision the people leading this movement to be creatives from all backgrounds. As part of our ongoing investment in the creative community, we’re launching Meta House at Art Basel in Miami from December 1-3, showcasing mixed reality experiences, live performances by Doja Cat, first-time GRAMMY nominee GloRilla and more, plus installations by emerging artists COVL, YONK and more.

“I 100% believe the metaverse will become a space for artists because, as artists, we’re constantly having to think about the future and carrying the responsibility of telling the past, present, and future in that sense.” – COVL

COVL, a next-gen Puerto Rican multidisciplinary artist, collaborated with us on Nuevo Norte (New North), a virtual world that pays homage to COVL’s roots while playing into her organic, psychedelic artistic style. COVL will also extend Nuevo Norte into an AR mural on display in Meta House. COVL worked with Meta’s Spark AR team to add a layer of interactivity to the artwork, which can be viewed through the camera on Instagram and Facebook. This was COVL’s first time using AR and VR as art mediums.

Just as Art Basel celebrates both traditional and innovative forms of art, we brought together COVL and other emerging artists and activists in our fifth installment of our Metaverse Culture Series. In a mini documentary called Tercera Cultura (third culture), they discuss how the Latinx community can both preserve and advance their diverse culture in new ways, and make progress towards equity on a range of levels. The film features:

• COVL (D’ana Nunez): Puerto Rican multidisciplinary artist
• Jillian Mercado: Dominican physically disabled model, actress and advocate
• Sara Mora: Costa Rican founder of Population MIC, activist and entrepreneur
• Tori Ortiz: Puerto Rican track and field sprinter at Oklahoma State University, social media influencer and content creator
• Juan Veloz: Dominican photographer and brand collaborator

We’re also collaborating with Dutch artist duo and recent “Are We There Yet?” guests, YONK who will host an immersive VR workshop on Thursday 12/1 at 12PM EST, to show students and guests how VR can be used for creative expression.