Memory and Time: Labor and Cultural History in Virtual Reality

Article by MediaCombo

Memory and Time is a beautiful virtual reality (VR) tour of painter Joyce Kozloff’s powerful new art installation at the Federal Courthouse in Greenville, SC, commissioned by the U.S. General Services Administration’s Art in Architecture Program.

Kozloff envisioned the courthouse’s multi-story lobby as a gallery and designed 17 large-scale brilliant colorful glass mosaic and ceramic tile panels to illustrate the important history of Greenville’s textile industry, which once earned the city the title “textile capital of the world.”

Each panel features a textile pattern coupled with a historical map of the area, documenting the evolving culture, labor, and ownership dynamics from the 18th century, when it was Cherokee territory, to today. During the VR tour, Kozloff guides visitors to several panels, describing how these images represent local history. The tour allows visitors to zoom in on the intricate details of the ground-floor panels and includes a virtual balcony to enable the same experience in front of the higher panels.

In 9 short minutes, this VR experience immerses visitors in the Greenville County Federal Courthouse with Kozloff as their guide, and inspires them to consider Kozloff’s many other site-specific installations. Commissioned by the Everson Museum of Art, this VR tour is a highlight of their highly anticipated Joyce Kozloff exhibition in 2025.