Gallery Uses Augmented Reality to Exhibit Modern Art
Armory Captures is on view at Smart Objects (1828 W. Sunset Boulevard, Echo Park, Los Angeles) through April 17.
Using the free phone app 123Dcatch, Gibson made 3D scans of about 80 works from the modern wing of the 2015 Armory Show in New York. He began by taking 8–20 photos of each work from different angles, which the app uses to generate a 3D model. He then placed custom AR tags (similar to QR codes) on the gallery’s walls and floor, each one linked to a specific 3D model of an artwork. When gallery visitors use their phone or tablet to scan the tags with another free app, Augment, the corresponding 3D model pops up on their screen. Picasso, Lichtenstein, Frankenthaler, Miro — the greatest hits of the 20th century in the palm of your hand.
It is significant that these aren’t just high-rez images, but actual 3D scans that reflect the objecthood of these artworks.