ABSTRACT
Art and design schools such as Rhode Island School of Design are unique among institutions for fostering community through frequent critique. Crits are embedded in studio culture, but this model of teaching through discourse has come under increasing scrutiny given its European roots and the resulting power differentials, biases, and marginalization that the format has tended to reinforce. The use of VR for crit purposes, a practical solution implemented under duress, restored some normalcy and proved reparative for one class. Upon reflection, it has also provided a lens through which we might re-examine, challenge, and thus repair the way that “the crit” is incorporated into art and design education. VR platforms are conventionally focused on gaming and business use, but the emerging technology of social VR platforms has made inroads into sectors once irrevocably tied to physical space and corporeal presence, such as live performance, travel, even intimate ceremonies.
