Victoria's leading Cultural Institutions connect Melbourne Arts Precinct with Augmented Reality Art Trail

Melbourne’s Fed Square, ACMI, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) and the Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT) are collaborating with Acute Art to create one of Australia’s largest and free augmented reality (AR) exhibitions exclusively to Melbourne until 30 September 2022.

The AR.Trail is an innovative experience showcasing 22 digital artworks by some of the world’s leading contemporary artists, including new commissions by Australian artists, showcased across key sites throughout the Melbourne Arts Precinct.

Funded through the $200 million Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, a partnership between the Victorian Government and City of Melbourne, the ground-breaking AR arts tour will entice audiences into Melbourne’s cultural corridor, from Fed Square through to the National Gallery of Victoria, and enhance their city experience.

“This immersive exhibition adds a new dimension to Melbourne’s already dynamic CBD, attracting visitors new and old to experience the city in a new light while supporting local traders and local jobs,” said Minister for Creative Industries, Steve Dimopoulos.

“We’re delivering events and experiences that continue to draw more visitors into Melbourne’s CBD, while offering new attractions that encourage visitors to stay longer and see more,” said Mr Dimopoulos

“Melbourne’s spectacular arts precinct is the envy of cities across the globe, and this vibrant new digital creative experience will give locals and visitors alike yet another reason to come in and soak up the colour, energy and vibrancy of our city,” said Lord Mayor Sally Capp.

“As we embark on the transformation of the Melbourne Arts Precinct – the largest cultural infrastructure project in Australia’s history – Melbourne’s cultural institutions are already establishing engaging and innovative ways for people to tour, connect and experience the full creative precinct,” said Director and CEO of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation, Katrina Sedgwick OAM.

“We’re proud to bring leading art technology to Australia that will encourage discovery throughout the city and act as a precursor to our museums, galleries and theatres.”

The AR.Trail will feature new commissions by celebrated Australian artists Ron Mueck, Reko Rennie and Patricia Piccinini. This is the first time the Australian commissions will be seen in augmented reality, alongside works from renowned international artists including Olafur Eliasson, Cao Fei, Koo Jeong A, KAWS, Nina Chanel Abney and Alicja Kwade. See full list of Artists below.

The experience will be live for six weeks across 22 locations within the precinct with immersive pieces that will inspire: Reko Rennie’s OA Warrior I (pink) represents the strength and power of a Kamilaroi warrior, intrigue – Tomás Saraceno’s Maratus speciosus and Bagheera kiplingi* calls for interspecies cohabitation featuring large spiders, or simply make you smile – David Shrigley’s Worm depicts a giant pink worm wriggling inside the NGV.

The works explore connections to the environment, the human condition and how people inhabit modern cities. The unique project will provide a new way for audiences to discover, experience and interact with their surroundings via a user-friendly app.

Designated QR codes at outdoor sites take visitors to the app to select from virtual artworks, which range from small sculptures to architectural-sized moving images. Through the AR experience, artworks appear on the viewer’s camera screen and activate a hidden world of art in the city space, unique to each visitor’s experience.

The AR.Trail was developed in partnership with Acute Art – an organisation established to bring together renowned artists and technology to produce and exhibit compelling artworks in digital mediums – including virtual, augmented and mixed realities.

Acute Art is responsible for app technology that enabled the highly successful AR exhibition across New York’s High Line, now bringing this cutting-edge exhibition to Australia for the first time.

The AR.Trail is available to experience until 30 September 2022 in the Melbourne Arts Precinct. To discover the virtual sculptures, download the free Acute Art app via the Apple Store and Google Play and simply point your phone at the designated areas.

Image: Ron Mueck, Head Space, 2022, augmented reality – photo by Eugene Hyland

The complete list of artists and their work includes: