With [AR]T, Apple Plants Itself Firmly in Augmented Reality

Apple is taking viewers to a whole new reality—albeit an augmented one—by partnering with the New Museum to enlist seven contemporary artists for the company’s new augmented reality projects. The [AR]T series will be part of the Today at Apple sessions and showcase AR works by artists Nick Cave, Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg, Cao Fei, John Giorno, Carsten Höller, and Pipilotti Rist, who have abandoned gallery walls to create work that will dance on top of skyscrapers or live inside trees. Yes, AR has come a long way since Pokémon Go.

“The New Museum has always led at the intersection of art and tech and we could not have asked for a better partner in Apple to support the fantastic visions of these pioneering artists,” said Lisa Phillips, Toby Devan Lewis director for the New Museum, in a statement. “Augmented reality is a medium ripe for dynamic and visual storytelling that can extend an artist’s practice beyond the studio or the gallery and into the urban fabric.”

There are three parts to the new project: [AR]T in the Apple Store, [AR]T Walk, and [AR]T Lab. [AR]T in the Apple Store will consist of Cave’s digital installation, “Amass,” an interactive experience that lets users collect “Ikon Elements” right in-store—all with a quick click of a phone app. [AR]T Walk is a city-specific AR experience that enhances a casual stroll with mind-bending graphics throughout public spaces in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. The session for [AR]T Lab is a free 90-minute Apple store session where anyone can learn how to create their own AR visuals.  

The [AR]T sessions will be available in every Apple store worldwide starting August 10 and you can register for a session at apple.com/today. So during a next visit, expect a plethora of dangling, brightly colored shapes, courtesy of Mr. Cave. 

(Photos courtesy of Apple)