Apple and New Museum Debut AR Public Art

To create the realities in [AR]T Walk, New Museum called upon the help of contemporary artists Nick Cave, Cao Fei, John Giorno, Pipilotti Rist, Carsten Höller, and Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg—most of whom had never before worked in AR. The project takes viewers through New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong, San Francisco, and Tokyo, showing them iconic destinations like Trafalgar Square, the Grand Army Plaza in Central Park, and Yerba Buena Gardens, as they have been reimagined to feature core themes and ideas from by an artist.

In Höller’s Through, viewers step through a portal in Trafalgar Square, into a hand-drawn world with no perspective. For Cave’s piece, his signature Soundsuits come to life, appearing as giant 3D figures throughout the city streets. And in Djurberg and Berg’s reality, the pair transports users into a digital fairytale, where the inside of a hollow tree hides a host of magical creatures.

In addition to [AR]T Walk—due to open in select locations on August 10—the program also includes [AR]T Lab (in-store sessions teaching the basics of creating AR through Swift Playgrounds software) and an AR art installation that will be displayed in every Apple store around the globe.

“Today at Apple offers a window into the creative arts made possible by our products and customers,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail + People. “We hope attendees are inspired by the incredible AR creations in the [AR]T Walk and in-store installation, and we can’t wait to see what our visitors learn to create in the [AR]T Lab.”