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Shepard Fairey AR Brings Incredible Art To You
World-renown artist Shepard Fairey has used the power of augmented reality to bring his latest exhibit into your hands. In one of the most incredible and…
World-renown artist Shepard Fairey has used the power of augmented reality to bring his latest exhibit into your hands. In one of the most incredible and well-built AR experiences I’ve tried, this app is a shining example of how augmented reality can help users more intimately connect with content.
Like any large city-based art exhibit, the Shepard Fairey AR app is set in an industrial warehouse. You enter with a handwritten note from Shepard Fairey himself, explaining his thoughts behind his Damaged installation. You can then choose to control your POV using just touch controls, the rotation of your device, or the full AR experience.
Choosing to employ augmented reality means that as you move your device, you move in the art exhibit. You can walk across the room in real life and also traverse the warehouse in-app. You turn left, you are rotating in the warehouse as well. I don’t know for sure what the Shepard Fairey app is using, but the AR movements are very smooth and responsive. If using Apple’s ARKit, it’s certainly a job well-done by the developers.
As you walk up to each piece of art, you can interact with them in the app. When you tap on them, Fairey himself will tell you about the piece in a voice over narration. In total, there are more than a hundred minutes of narration to learn of the various pieces. Some the artwork are paintings and wall-hung artwork but there’s other unique pieces as well. There’s a newsstand, a printing press, busts, and more.
Some artists have work that needs to be seen by as many people as possible. Fairey’s last exhibition was in L.A. and not within reach of many users. This app is entirely free, has narration from the author, and an overall feeling of progress and motivation to do better. The augmented reality aspect makes it much more personable compared to viewing static images online. The whole thing felt seamless and a great interactive app for iPhone and iPad.
But enough about other people's apps.
