The Covid-19 pandemic saw seasons and follow-on tours cancelled, international borders closed and venues across the region indefinitely shuttered. Asia TOPA and Arts Centre Melbourne resolved to move online. In the face of continuing lockdowns in 2021, the Office for the Arts provided additional support to run a second Virtual LAB program.

Over two and a half years, Virtual LABs have supported artists from more than a dozen countries and territories across 20 creative development stages. Some of these have literally been first conversations between artists. Some began to develop as virtual studio explorations pending future live meets, while others flourished in the virtual space and have gone on to second and even third phases of creative development and live digital presentation.

With an increase in international travel, LAB projects will begin to connect in real life (IRL) to test the viability of their concepts and their producing needs and potential.

Virtual LABs at the National Museum

In 2021, the National Museum of Australia offered to support Asia TOPA by providing additional development time and digital documentation for a cohort of Virtual LAB projects with the intention of sharing these preliminary online outcomes with a wider public.

This is the basis of the exhibition, which presents a ‘moment in time’. These creative processes and ideas have far to go before they will realise their final artistic form and live performance character. Nothing can ultimately replace direct personal contact and shared physical space and yet the extended experience of working online has produced some striking outcomes.