iii Museum
Virtual museum by AFKHAMI FOUNDATION
As 3D artist
The iii museum is an immersive virtual art experience by The Mohammed Afkhami Foundation. As a key member of the creative and immersive production team, I was responsible for the fluid simulation and texturing. I also contributed to the asset pipeline and platform building.
As the museum was designed and set in a desert environment, our solution of showcasing the exterior involved using the surrounding sand dune to reveal the architecture, combined with close-up and top-down shots to create a sense of scale and showcase the supporting building.
Combined with limited shots of selected artworks we aim to create a trailer that’s exciting at the same time not giving away too much content.
Made with Blender & Octane
Link to experience
Movement Design
Having the cursor act as a stirrer and the wall react to it like Oil created great immersion within the platform, we decided to take it future by creating a 3D simulated version.
Based on the artwork and camera position, we designed the movement coming from the bottom left corner going up, then curving up exiting the middle of the other side after going around the artwork.
Iteration was made in order to create an engaging but elegant movement without interfering with the artwork.
Fluid Dynamic & Texture
Since the museum is set in a desert, we wanted the liquid to resemble oil—heavy and viscous. However, real oil simulations move too slowly for a responsive web experience, which could frustrate users.
To address this, we calibrated the fluid physics to sit somewhere between water and oil. This hybrid approach maintained the visual weight and richness of oil but allowed for the fluid responsiveness required for real-time web interaction.
The final result was considered a success by the team and the collector. The trailer successfully captured the atmosphere of the museum, serving as an effective introduction to the virtual experience without revealing the full narrative prematurely.
Made with Blender & Octane
