DesignTO Talks: Virtual Exhibition Design

‘Virtual Exhibition Design’ is a panel discussion that takes a deep dive into the processes and practices of designing expansive and dynamic virtual exhibitions. Featuring three Canadian creators – Cat Bluemke, Brendan ‘Brendy’ Lehman, and Zoe Osborne – who are making strides in the field, the talk spotlights each of their digital projects as touchstones for a conversation exploring a range of exhibition-making strategies to harness the possibilities of virtual space.

This talk is organized by DesignTO and supported by EQ Bank. Thanks to the Toronto Society of Architects for hosting us online.

–––

Cat Bluemke is an artist using game design, expanded reality, and performance to explore the concepts of work and play. Her work has been exhibited at Rhizome, the New Museum (2020), and the Venice Architecture Biennale (2018). Recent exhibitions include LikeLike Gallery (2025), Fotomuseum Winterthur (2024), and Singapore Art Museum (2023). For over five years, she has worked across Canada creating digital exhibitions for galleries. As Digital Exhibitions Consultant at MacKenzie Art Gallery (Regina, Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 Territory), she developed the Digital Exhibition Toolkit and Art Installation Launcher (DETAIL), committed to making digital art experiences more accessible and intuitive for gallery audiences, curators, and artists alike. She is currently the Executive Director at Centre for Art Tapes (Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Mi’kma’ki).

Brendan ‘Brendy’ Lehman (they/them) is a neuroscientist, interactive media artist, and arts programmer based in Toronto, Canada. Projects in biodata-driven software development, interactive installation, and game curation all aim to capture contexts of togetherness and help people connect with themselves, each other, and their natural environment in new and meaningful ways. They have worked at the Hand Eye Society, Muse: The Brain-sensing Headband, and have had their work or workshops featured at the Venice International Film Festival (Immersive), A MAZE. / Berlin, MIT Media Lab, The Science of Consciousness, Resonite VR, InterAccess, and others.

Zoe Osborne is a Toronto-based artist and designer from Barbados. She is the founder of Mahogany Design Commune, where her design practice explores the intersection of culture, art and technology through 3-D digital animations and VR spaces. Zoe was among the first people to use VR to create digital galleries in the Caribbean. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Toronto Metropolitan University. Zoe has spoken on many panels, most notably for UNESCO’s ‘Connecting Caribbean – Digital Transformation’ in 2023 and Elevate’s tech and innovation festival in 2022.

–––

About DesignTO

DesignTO is a charitable arts organization celebrating 16 years of designing a sustainable, just, and joyful future. As Canada’s largest annual design festival, DesignTO has welcomed over 1 million attendees, reached 2.6 billion people through media, showcased 7,000+ artists and designers, and generated $159 million in tourism impact since 2011.