Exploring Anamorphoses in Immersive Virtual Reality on the Web: Design and Challenges of the Anamorphic Gallery of Anamorphoses (AnGA)
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Date
2025
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Eurographics Association
Abstract
In the field of art, anamorphosis is a perspective technique that produces two-dimensional images or three-dimensional installations whose form can be correctly perceived from a single viewpoint (the perspective projection centre), while appearing distorted and sometimes incomprehensible when viewed from other positions. Anamorphosis stands as one of the highest examples of how art and science have fruitfully interacted over the centuries. It has a long tradition, beginning with Renaissance perspective experiments, reaching its peak in 17th-century treatises, and maintaining a widespread legacy in contemporary artistic language. Anamorphic devices work by disrupting the physiological visual process, altering perception and stimulating the viewer's cognitive processes aimed at recognising forms in an interactive and dynamic manner. This physical and mental engagement makes the experience emotionally and intellectually stimulating, as it requires the effort to reconfigure the image and unveil its true meaning, creating a personal connection with the artwork. Despite the potential of immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) for experiencing anamorphic works due to their interactive and dynamic characteristics, as well as the unparalleled creative freedom offered by the virtual environment, the scientific literature has not extensively explored this field. Our contribution aims to propose the design and creation of a VR experience centred on the theme of anamorphosis, developed using the ATON framework within the H2IOSC project. The WebXR experience, titled ''Anamorphic Gallery of Anamorphoses'' (AnGA), is divided into two parts. The first part involves the exploration of an anamorphic space where the user must locate the perspective projection centre, the only point from which the anamorphosis appears undistorted. Once positioned at this point, the anamorphic environment gives way to the virtual environment generating the perspective projection. This virtual environment is a gallery showcasing various types of anamorphic devices (planar and spatial anamorphosis, tabula scalata, catoptric anamorphosis). Thus, AnGA has the dual purpose of providing users with an anamorphic experience and illustrating the main anamorphic mechanisms and their long history. The paper also addresses and discusses the challenges posed by binocular vision in exploring anamorphic spaces in iVR, which is based on perspective projection from a single point and, theoretically, achieves maximum effectiveness with monocular vision.
Description
CCS Concepts: Computing methodologies → Virtual reality; Applied computing → Fine arts; Information systems → Web applications
@inproceedings{10.2312:dh.20253023,
booktitle = {Digital Heritage},
editor = {Campana, Stefano and Ferdani, Daniele and Graf, Holger and Guidi, Gabriele and Hegarty, Zackary and Pescarin, Sofia and Remondino, Fabio},
title = {{Exploring Anamorphoses in Immersive Virtual Reality on the Web: Design and Challenges of the Anamorphic Gallery of Anamorphoses (AnGA)}},
author = {Menconero, Sofia and Amadei, Chiara Florise and Gosti, Giorgio and Fanini, Bruno},
year = {2025},
publisher = {The Eurographics Association},
ISBN = {978-3-03868-277-6},
DOI = {10.2312/dh.20253023}
}