Video Art and Photography II and III students, accompanied by visual arts teachers Jesse Chehak and Cheri Gaulke, traveled to the Broad museum to view a newly opened, fully immersive exhibition called “A Journey that Wasn’t” on Jan. 18.

Photography II student Caroline Sturgeon ’20 said she appreciated the opportunity to separate herself from her academic studies and focus on her artistic pursuits.

“We talked about how a museum is a sacred space and how it’s somewhere in between real life and something less tangible,” Sturgeon said. “For most of us, it was an opportunity to take a step out of our stressful lives and be a part of the art.”

During the trip, students watched Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson’s hour-long installation “The Visitors.” In it, Kjartansson recorded and compiled videos of nine musicians performing a piece simultaneously in separate rooms of the same estate.

Video Art II student Emma Poveda ’20 said the installation changed her perception of video art and inspired her to take a more nontraditional approach to videography.

“[The trip] taught me to think outside of the box and showed me I don’t have to stay in a defined structure,” Poveda said.

Chehak said he hoped the installation would encourage students to fulfill their artistic goals, regardless of how daunting they might seem.

“I find that some of my students have very ambitious ideas, but they’re timid to execute them, thinking they’re too large-scale,” Chehak said. “‘The Visitors’ showed my students that through collaboration, any idea is capable of being created.”