At present, there is a nearly worldwide lockdown situation. The quarantine is enacted to contain and prevent the spread of the new coronavirus diseases. In the midst of this lockdown, a few members of the art community have come up with an ingenious and novel method of presenting their work of art without the presence of a physical audience.
Within the last couple of weeks, developments in the field of virtual visualizations have accelerated at an exponential rate, with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) programs attempting to simulate the experience of artwork and visiting spaces in person, via a number of different methods. For instance, last month, Acute Art, the app-based art platform, presented EXPANDED HOLIDAY, which was an AR exhibition that showcased 12 sculptures across the globe. The sculptures were from KAWS, the New York-based artist.
ALL World, a self-publishing platform and also a competing AR company, developed a similar, but more open-access concept for artists who are less established and wished to share their art with the world in the hope of finding potential buyers. This gave up-and-coming and struggling artists a chance to display their work with prospective buyers from all over the world. ALL World is founded by Zander Eckbald and Sebastian Errazuriz, and both of them are artists. Their open-access concept was in line with their tagline ‘augmented reality for all.’
The company released a video, which demonstrated the potential application of the app in use. The app showed how it works through New York City, where it began when an individual entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art and digitally placed a bust of the co-founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. The bust was placed among Ancient Greek statuary. This was followed by the placement of artworks that increased in size throughout the public squares of the city. All of these actions were happening virtually and nobody was placing the artworks physically.
On the app, the home page displayed a button that encouraged users to create their very own ‘AR Exhibition’ by uploading a 3D or three-dimensional digital version of the physical objects that they wish to exhibit and set a price for their works of art. Initially, the artworks are going to be placed at an accurate scale after they have been uploaded. However, users will be able to increase or enlarge the scale as per their convenience. The nascent website provides a handful of artworks that can be played with virtually. Most of the artworks have been provided by Errazuriz. As an artist, Errazuriz’s work ranges from interior architecture to public art. He has also dabbled with other kinds of artwork, such as providing a speculative proposal or plan for the renovation of Notre Dame.
The creation and development of the AR-based app is expected to help struggling artists display and sell their work, and earn money digitally during the period of quarantine. The app is also giving such artists a platform to showcase their talents on a global basis.
