Picture this — you’re walking down the street and come across a particularly stunning piece of street art. With a few clicks on your phone, a 1,500 square foot piece of art comes to life. This is what anyone passing along East Cumberland Avenue in Tampa, Florida can experience upon seeing Dutch artist Leon Keer’s augmented reality art piece “Equality Diversity”, which is painted on the side of a building.
After downloading Keer’s eponymous mobile application, pedestrians can whip out their smartphones, view Keer’s mural (a stack of multicolored stones) through the app, and watch the looping animation unfold.
It’s a simple spectacle but one that bears significant meaning. According to the local news outlet Tampa Bay Times, Keer said the painting reflects the diversity within the community. “The mural is focused on the balance and cohesion of diversity reflected here in the city of Tampa,” Keer said.
The mural is a result of a partnership between Tampa-based art gallery CASS Contemporary and the development initiative Water Street Tampa. In charge of the project’s AR capabilities was tech specialist Joost Spek.
Not Just in Tampa: Murals that Have Become Augmented Reality Art in Recent Times
Water Street Tampa isn’t the first to turn murals into augmented reality art. In fact, private and public structures are a pretty popular canvas for AR art across the globe.
Just in 2021, Tulsa, Oklahoma unveiled the now largest augmented reality art piece in the world, spanning 15,000 square feet, a far cry from the size of that in Water Street Tampa.
Local daily Tulsa World reports the project, named “The Majestic”, cost $230,000 and beautifies a seemingly unlikely place — a parking garage.
The Tulsa Authority for Economic Opportunity tapped Artists Ryan “Yanoe” Sarfati and Eric “Zoueh” Skotnes to make this mural — a nod to the locality’s culture and history — a reality.
In Brampton, Ontario, a piece of augmented reality art sends out a similar message to that of Keer. Toronto-based artist Jasmin Pannu was commissioned by Coca-Cola and the City of Brampton to design a mural at Gore Meadows Community Centre, the Toronto Star reports.
In an Instagram post, Pannu says her vision for the mural is to showcase “the diversity, talent and culture of the city and its local athletes,” something their local art is not able to express.
Murals are a great way to send a powerful message across. And with AR technology being the advanced and accessible tool it is today, these murals can speak volumes beyond the confines of its canvas.
Get In Touch with NarraSoft for Your AR Art Development Needs
Thinking of starting an AR project for your company? Whether it’s marketing collateral, video game assets, or virtual try-on graphics you require, we’re here to make sure you get your augmented reality art when you need it!
Send us a message today at sales@narrasoft.com or use our chat box or contact form to reach us. Together, we can make something great.