Snapchat team and Australian artist Mond Qu have brought Aussies an immersive new ‘ARt’ experience at this year’s Sculpture by the Sea
Snapchat has brought the first-ever augmented reality artist collaboration to Sydney, using hyper-realistic ray tracing technology to create a ‘secret’ sculpture which visitors can unlock at Tamarama Beach.
Visitors to Sculpture by the Sea, can unlock an augmented reality lens through Snapchat to transform ‘Chasing the Sun’ into an interactive artwork. With the integration of ray-tracing technology the lens uses the sun to create different experiences depending on the time of the day.
“At Snapchat we have a proud history of bringing artists and technologists together to push the boundaries of creative expression and explore how augmented reality can enhance the world around us”, Tony Keusgen, managing director of Snap Inc. ANZ, said.
With the edition of AR, ‘Chasing the Sun’ becomes a fully immersive experience that tracks the arc of the sun as it moves through the sky, and allows exhibition visitors to build on and expand the sculpture into the landscape around them.
Melbourne-based artist Mond Qu commented on the collaboration, “Working with Snapchat has given me the opportunity to take my “Chasing the Sun” artwork into another dimension to create a unique blend of interactive project and sculpture, which portrays our profound connection with light. The sculpture consists of two complementary facets – the physical and the digital. This allows exhibition visitors to navigate through time effortlessly with their fingertips, witnessing the sculpture’s transformation throughout the day”.
