Meta Open Arts New Realities
Meta Open Arts wants the digital era to be an era of empowerment for artists all over the world. So we made an addition to the artist’s toolkit: paintbrush, canvas, easel… augmented reality.
THE CHALLENGE
Does technology empower or weaken the artist?
Are we still willing to stand in quiet wonder before a work of art, taking time to explore its complexity, or are we more interested in the selfie which simply proves we were there? This is the challenge that artists face in the digital era. But it’s actually not new. Artists have always been victims to that divide between creation and interpretation. As Degas said: "Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” So, what if, using technology, we could close that gap?
THE PROJECT
Letting the artist guide the viewer’s imagination through AR
Using augmented reality, we realized that we could finally let the artist play an active role in the viewing experience. So, we took Brazilian artist Talita Hoffmann’s 20-foot mural in Meta’s São Paulo office and worked side-by-side with her to develop an AR filter offering nine full animations, including directional sound design, that highlighted the visual choices she had made and became an organic extension of the art itself. From transitioning skylines to trees that would lift off the wall, we managed to layer dozens of unique design elements into a mobile-first package weighing just 3.7MB.
THE RESULT
Changing attitudes to art and AR
By delivering a rich series of animations under 4MB, including custom 3D and procedural animations, bespoke AR color shader and directional sound design, we demonstrated that interactive artistic experiences don’t have to be limited to high-powered platforms - they can be embraced by all. And by democratizing access to these new tools, we proved that in this new intersection between the physical and the digital, the end result can be greater than a timid copy. It can be a new work in itself.