Museum Heads to Wonderland : Virtual Reality at the V&A

Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as an exciting medium for museums, offering visitors new ways to engage with cultural narratives. Speaking at the MuseumNext XR Summit, Kati Price, Head of Digital Media at V&A noted, “VR opens the door to entirely new storytelling possibilities, immersing visitors in ways we never thought possible.”

This potential was exemplified by the Victoria and Albert Museum’s (V&A) 2021 exhibition, Alice: Curious and Curiouser, which featured an immersive VR experience created in collaboration with HTC VIVE Arts and the award-winning studio Preloaded. The project explored how VR can bring timeless stories like Alice in Wonderland to life, engaging audiences both within the museum and at home.

The Genesis of the V&A Virtual Reality Project

The origins of this VR journey can be traced back to late 2019 when HTC VIVE Arts approached the V&A to sponsor the Alice: Curious and Curiouser exhibition. Recognising the opportunity to enhance the exhibition’s storytelling potential, the V&A enthusiastically embarked on the development of a VR experience. By February 2020, the collaboration with HTC VIVE Arts and Preloaded was underway.

This pivotal partnership, highlighted during the Museum XR Summit, showcased how cross-disciplinary efforts could push the boundaries of immersive storytelling. Kati Price observed, “Collaborations like this redefine how museums can use technology to engage audiences on a deeper level.”

A Curious Game of Croquet in Virtual Reality

The team’s initial effort, A Curious Game of Croquet, debuted as an interactive component of the physical exhibition. This immersive VR experience invited visitors to step into Alice’s shoes, starting with a tumble down the rabbit hole. From there, participants explored the Queen of Hearts’s garden, engaging in a croquet match with flamingo mallets and hedgehog balls. The experience culminated in Alice’s iconic moment of rebellion, where she defies the Queen, grows in size after eating a mushroom, and exclaims, “You’re nothing but a pack of cards!”

Extending the Virtual Reality Experience Beyond the Museum

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the team to consider how they could expand the VR experience for audiences at home. This shift, discussed extensively at the Museum XR Summit, underscored the importance of adapting VR to meet the needs of remote audiences.

As Kati Price noted during the Summit, “VR provides a unique opportunity to maintain engagement and accessibility, even when physical spaces are out of reach.” The result was Curious Alice, a three-chapter VR journey available on home VR platforms. This extended experience included additional chapters, such as a game of hide-and-seek with the White Rabbit’s glove and a mental puzzle-solving encounter with the Caterpillar. These chapters drew on key themes from Lewis Carroll’s book, including curiosity, introspection, and the challenge of defying authority.

Design and Collaboration in Virtual Reality

At the heart of the VR experience was the work of illustrator Kristjana S. Williams, whose digital collages inspired the visuals. Drawing from Victorian engravings and paper theatre traditions, Williams’s intricate designs were adapted into 3D environments by Preloaded. The team layered elements to create a sense of depth, transforming static illustrations into immersive worlds filled with interactive props like lanterns, furniture, and more.

The development process was a seamless collaboration despite the challenges of the pandemic. Initial workshops established the creative direction, while remote working tools such as Miro boards and video conferencing enabled ongoing communication. Regular user testing ensured that the VR experience was accessible, intuitive, and engaging, addressing issues like motion sickness and interactivity.

Thematic Depth and Audience Engagement Through Virtual Reality

The Alice in Wonderland story provided a rich foundation for exploring themes such as empowerment and self-discovery, further cementing the V&A Virtual Reality experience as a benchmark for storytelling innovation. Kati Price noted, “VR has the power to take timeless themes and make them resonate on an emotional level, enabling audiences to step directly into the narrative.”

VR allowed visitors to viscerally experience these themes by embodying Alice and navigating her whimsical world. Design principles such as “wide walls, low thresholds, and high ceilings” guided the development process, ensuring that the experience was rewarding, intuitive, and open to exploration.

For example, in the Queen’s garden, visitors could paint roses or interact with the environment in playful ways. These elements heightened the sense of agency and curiosity central to the Alice narrative. Meanwhile, the seamless integration of the VR experience within the physical exhibition design created a cohesive journey for museum visitors.

Lessons Learned in Virtual Reality

The project highlighted the potential of V&A Virtual Reality as a complementary addition to exhibitions. Insights shared during the Museum XR Summit reinforced this view, with Kati Price noting, “When seamlessly integrated, VR doesn’t just enhance exhibitions; it transforms them into immersive experiences that stay with visitors long after they’ve left the gallery.”

However, the team also noted the importance of embedding VR into exhibition planning from the outset to ensure alignment with the overall narrative and design. Practical considerations, such as managing visitor queues and maintaining hygiene protocols during the pandemic, also required careful attention.

From a creative perspective, the experience underscored the need to balance innovation with accessibility. By designing interactions that felt natural and ensuring intuitive navigation, the team successfully introduced a broad audience to the possibilities of VR storytelling.

Conclusion

The Alice: Curious and Curiouser VR experience exemplifies how museums can use emerging technologies to enhance storytelling and engage diverse audiences. By combining the V&A’s curatorial expertise with Preloaded’s technical skill, the project brought the whimsical world of Wonderland to life in unprecedented ways. As VR continues to evolve, projects like this pave the way for museums to reimagine how they share cultural narratives in the digital age.

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Kati Price from V&A spoke at the Museum XR Summit in 2022.