SOA Virtual Reality Course Taught @ MIX
A Special Topics course on Virtual Reality proposed by new SOA sculpture faculty member Assistant Professor John von Bergen, is being taught this Spring 2026 in the MIX Media Lab Horizon Hall 1410 on Mondays 10:30-1pm weekly.
Professor John von Bergen holding a Meta Quest 3 headset in the MIX Media Lab next to the VR Cabinet for his course.
Extensive preparation went into launching the course, including collaboration with MIX staff to outfit the MIX Media Lab with a dedicated cabinet to store and manage the VR headsets for student use. Student staff member Micah Weisenberger supported Professor von Bergen by setting up an administrative account to manage the devices and organizing accessible charging stations. The course was further enabled through equipment contributions: Professor Craig Yu of the Computer Science department loaned four Meta Quest 2 headsets, while Professor von Bergen secured funding to purchase four Meta Quest 3 units to meet instructional needs.
Hired by George Mason University School of Art in Spring 2025, Professor von Bergen is internationally recognized for his provocative sculptural work. His large-scale installation Wandlung (2023), commissioned by the German Bundestag, is permanently installed in Berlin, underscoring the global reach of his practice.
See link: https://publicartarchive.org/art/Wandlung/35a0ee40
See Professor von Bergen’s website post about the installation >
Also, the MIX talked with Professor von Bergen in a MIX Podcast.
Listen to the MIX It Up podcast with Professor John von Bergen here >
