# The IMC Lab

> AI + XR media lab + studio, New York City

The IMC Lab (IMC: Interactive Multimedia Culture) is an AI + XR studio in New
York City, founded and led by James A. Tunick, making work since 2001. It
produced the Whitney Museum’s virtual world on MONA. With partner studios it
made a Clio-winning, MTV VMA-nominated Justin Bieber concert and the
Webby-winning Pentakill (WaveXR), a 50,000 sq ft AI/XR studio (ZeroSpace) and
Portals, 4D world models at CVPR 2026 Workshops (H3M). Clients and partners
include Google, the United Nations, the White House, the NBA, Pepsi,
NBCUniversal and the New Museum.

## Commission the lab

- Virtual exhibitions and museum worlds: The Whitney Museum’s virtual world, produced by the lab, on the web and Apple Vision Pro, with Ashley Zelinskie’s Twin Quasar, now in the Whitney’s collection. Proof: [Whitney Museum](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/twin-quasar-whitney-museum/)
- Live performances in XR: Concerts driven live by body and facial capture: a Clio winner and MTV VMA nominee, and a Webby winner. With WaveXR. Proof: [Justin Bieber](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/justin-bieber-virtual-concert/), [Pentakill](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/pentakill-lost-chapter/)
- AI and 3D production: A virtual-production studio with ZeroSpace (revenue tripled in 18 months), and generative AI production with H3M. Proof: [ZeroSpace](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/zerospace-ai-xr-studio/), [H3M](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/h3m-creative-ai-production/)
- Research to working prototype: 3D worlds at 60 fps on an iPhone (CVPR 2026 Workshops, with H3M), and a 3D CT/MRI viewer with Memorial Sloan Kettering and the NIH. Proof: [Portals](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/portals-4d-spatial-world-models/), [COVIDvis](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/covid-vis-magic-leap-app/)
- Discuss a project: https://www.theimclab.com/#contact

## Who

James A. Tunick — Founder, The IMC Lab
AI · XR · Real-time 3D · Spatial computing

Founder of The IMC Lab, an AI + XR studio in New York City making work since
2001. The lab produced the Whitney Museum’s virtual world on MONA, and James
leads Portals, 4D world models published at CVPR 2026 Workshops (with H3M,
which acquired the lab’s AI/AR software). He has made work with Apple,
NVIDIA, Meta, the NIH, Memorial Sloan Kettering and the United Nations, with
NASA as a collaborator and data source.

- The Whitney Museum credits The IMC Lab with producing its virtual world on MONA; its first work, Ashley Zelinskie’s Twin Quasar, is in the Whitney’s collection.
- Portals: persistent, editable 4D worlds at 60 fps on an iPhone 14 Pro with 360+ live effects; lead author of the CVPR 2026 Workshops paper and first named inventor on its companion U.S. provisional patent application.
- With WaveXR: the Clio-winning, MTV VMA-nominated Justin Bieber concert and the Webby-winning Pentakill.
- ZeroSpace, the 50,000 sq ft Brooklyn AI/XR studio: James led its technology from 2022 to 2024 and is now a partner.
- COVIDvis with Memorial Sloan Kettering and Magic Leap, and a co-authored paper in Nuclear Medicine Review (2022).
- Powers of 10 (App Store, Meta Quest) and Paint-AR (App Store), the lab’s apps, later acquired by H3M.
- Featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Wired, CNN, NPR and Rolling Stone.

- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestunick)
- [H3M.ai](https://h3m.ai)
- [CVPR 2026 Workshops paper](https://imclab.github.io/portals-cvpr2026/)

## News + Awards

Across The IMC Lab and its partner studios ZeroSpace, WaveXR and H3M, clients
and partners include Apple, the Whitney Museum, Google, Memorial Sloan
Kettering, the NIH, the United Nations and the White House, with NASA as a
collaborator and data source. The work has won a Webby and a Clio, earned an
MTV VMA nomination, and been selected for Apple Vision Pro Developer Labs and
the White House Nation of Makers. Coverage includes The New York Times, The
Wall Street Journal, Wired, CNN, NPR, Rolling Stone and ABC News.

- Whitney Museum: [Twin Quasar and the Whitney’s virtual world on MONA, on the web and Apple Vision Pro](https://whitney.org/exhibitions/twin-quasar) (IMC Lab · Ashley Zelinskie)
- Apple: Vision Pro app “Hologrm” selected for Apple Developer Labs (IMC Lab)
- The Oscars: [Academy Awards red-carpet TV coverage](https://youtu.be/IfePOa63L0A) (ZeroSpace · ABC News)
- Adweek: [Experiential Award for Arc’teryx’s activation by Moment Factory, hosted at ZeroSpace](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfePOa63L0A&t=254s) (ZeroSpace · Moment Factory · Arc’teryx)
- Justin Bieber: [MTV VMA nomination, Best Metaverse Performance](https://fortune.com/2022/08/19/mtv-metaverse-concerts-video-music-awards-roblox/) (WaveXR · MTV)
- Bulgari: [Sougwen Chung LIFE/LINES commission: a 3D chrome print made through VR and motion capture](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqQ4yaTuC1g) (ZeroSpace · FKB)
- Riot Games: [Webby Award winner: Pentakill metaverse concert](https://winners.webbyawards.com/2022/virtual-remote/general-virtual-remote/music/214703/pentakill-lost-chapter) (WaveXR · Pentakill · The Mill)
- CNN: [“Tech for Good”: Colleen Flanigan’s XR coral-reef art, built with IMC tech](https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/27/us/tech-for-good-colleen-flanigan-vr-coral-reef-spc-intl) (Paint-AR · 3Dskan)
- Magic Leap: [AR app with Memorial Sloan Kettering and the NIH, and published research](https://www.instagram.com/p/CKW1GPDJVGL/) (IMC Lab)

- [H3M.ai](https://h3m.ai)
- [Portals · CVPR 2026 Workshops](https://imclab.github.io/portals-cvpr2026/)
- [GitHub · IMC Lab](https://github.com/imclab)
- [GitHub · JT5D](https://github.com/JT5D)
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/theimclab/)


## Knowledge graph

Every project, artist, curator, exhibition, distinction and how they relate.

- XRAI (portable scene graph, for 3D viewers, Portals, agents): https://www.theimclab.com/knowledge-graph.xrai.json
- JSON-LD (schema.org): https://www.theimclab.com/knowledge-graph.json

## Selected work

- [Portals — 4D Spatial World Models](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/portals-4d-spatial-world-models/): CVPR 2026 Workshops lead-author paper + US patent filing. Persistent, editable 4D world models at 60 fps on iPhone.
- [ZeroSpace — AI/XR Studio](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/zerospace-ai-xr-studio/): The 50,000 sq ft Brooklyn ICVFX studio: AI/XR build, 3X revenue, ABC News Oscars feature.
- [Whitney Museum Virtual World — Twin Quasar](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/twin-quasar-whitney-museum/): Produced the Whitney Museum’s virtual world, on the web and Apple Vision Pro. Its first work, Twin Quasar, is in the Whitney’s collection.
- [Justin Bieber — Virtual Concert](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/justin-bieber-virtual-concert/): Clio winner and MTV VMA Best Metaverse Performance nominee. Driven live by Vicon body and facial capture. With WaveXR.
- [Pentakill: The Lost Chapter — Riot Games](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/pentakill-lost-chapter/): Webby winner 2022: a 45-minute interactive concert, Riot Games’ seven-member virtual band motion-captured live. With WaveXR, Riot Games and The Mill.
- [H3M — Creative AI Production](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/h3m-creative-ai-production/): Generative AI production for entertainment talent, including Kevin Hart, from the company behind Portals.
- [XRAI — Open Format for Spatial Media](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/xrai-open-spatial-media-format/): One file for a whole 3D scene: what is in it, who made it and every edit. Opens in any 3D engine.
- [Jarvis — Voice-First Multimodal Agent](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/jarvis-voice-first-agent/): Point and ask: Jarvis sees what you see, acts only after you approve, and keeps no raw audio.
- [Reality Remix VR/AR Exhibition](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/reality-remix-vrar-exhibition/): New interactive XR exhibit at IMC Lab
- [Beyond TV](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/beyond-tv/): Interactive exhibition at The Paley Center for Media
- [New Museum](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/new-museum/): New Museum Festival of Ideas featured our work
- [NBA](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/nba/): Stadium interactivity software
- [White House](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/white-house/): IMC Lab invited by President Obama to White House
- [Google](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/google/): Digital Art @Google exhibition and Talks at Google, 2010
- [No Longer Empty](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/no-longer-empty/): VR & mixed reality installation for No Longer Empty exhibition
- [United Nations](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/united-nations/): Cloud software for United Nations projects, including the SIDSnet community platform.
- [Ars Electronica](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/ars-electronica/): Ars Electronica features our work, City of the Future
- [nVizz](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/nvizz/): Cloud platform for big data visualization
- [EmpathyOS](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/empathyos/): Mixed reality operating system
- [NBC Universal](https://www.theimclab.com/portfolio/nbc-universal/): Cloud software for NBC Universal projects, including Bravo's TV show database and mobile website.

## Work with the lab

- Commission a project: paid work starts with a short discovery (scope, feasibility, a plan and a price), then production. Discuss a project: https://www.theimclab.com/#contact
- Create or test with Portals: early access for testers, artists and creators, no budget needed: https://www.theimclab.com/#join
- Resources for artists and technologists: open calls, NYC events, places and open-source tools (ranked by GitHub stars; archived, stale or unlicensed ones are left out), re-checked weekly: https://www.theimclab.com/events/resources/ (data: https://www.theimclab.com/resources.json · calendar: https://www.theimclab.com/resources.ics)
- Weekly digest, "This week in NYC art + tech": open calls closing in 14 days, events in the next 14 days, new papers (arXiv) and rising open-source tools, each line from the organizer’s own page: https://www.theimclab.com/weekly/ (RSS: https://www.theimclab.com/weekly/feed.xml)
- Plan with an AI assistant. Paste: Here is a list of NYC art + tech open calls, events, places and open-source tools, checked weekly: https://www.theimclab.com/resources.json (calendar: https://www.theimclab.com/resources.ics). I am a [role: artist, developer, studio] working on [goal]. Plan my next 90 days: which calls to apply to (with deadlines), which events to attend and who I would meet, which tools to learn. Confirm dates on each organizer's own page before I act.

## Sections

- [Portfolio](https://www.theimclab.com/#r1)
- [About](https://www.theimclab.com/#r2)
- [Services](https://www.theimclab.com/#r3)
- [Products](https://www.theimclab.com/#r4)
- [Contact](https://www.theimclab.com/#r5)
- [Artists, coders, curators & partners](https://www.theimclab.com/artists/)
- [Events](https://www.theimclab.com/events/)
- [Press](https://www.theimclab.com/press/)
- [Resources](https://www.theimclab.com/events/resources/)

## Contact

Email: info@TheIMCLab.com
Site: https://www.theimclab.com/