Virtual Art makes its way to the National Gardens
Combine the temperate weather this autumn with a stroll in The National Gardens while taking in a bold, new exhibition that will alter your reality and perception of art. Is this the way we will consume art? Seeing the Invisible is an international augmented reality (AR) exhibition, currently on at ten botanical gardens across the world. All you need to do to feast your eyes on works by the likes of Sigalit Landau, Ai Weiwei, El Anatsui and more and the specially commissioned artwork New Life by Loukia Alavanou, is to download an app!
SEEING THE INVISIBLE
What: Outset Greece in collaboration with the City of Athens present the most ambitious and expansive exhibition to date of contemporary artworks created with augmented reality (AR) technology appearing simultaneously in gardens around the world. Seeing the Invisible is an augmented reality contemporary art exhibition initiated in 2021 by the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens in partnership with Outset Contemporary Art Fund, with the support of the Jerusalem Foundation. The first exhibition of its kind to be developed in collaboration with botanical gardens around the world, it opened season 1, simultaneously at twelve different gardens in September 2021. Season 2 of Seeing the Invisible opens October 2022 with new partner gardens across 8 countries. The same exhibition is presented in all gardens but as the works are augmented into the unique surroundings and context of every garden, so the visitor’s experience changes as does the interpretation of the same corpus of works.
Seeing the Invisible features new works by more than a dozen international artists including Ai Wei Wei, Ori Gersht, Mohammed Kazem, Sigalit Landau, Sarah Meyohas, and Jakob Kudsk Steensen—including several artists’ first works in AR. Co-curated by Hadas Maor and Tal Michael Haring, the exhibition’s themes centre around our relationship with nature and explore the boundaries and connections between art, technology, and nature. The AR nature of the exhibition allows for immersive works that engage with the natural landscape beyond the boundaries of what is possible with physical artworks. There is also no disturbance to the grounds of the gardens and the carbon footprint of the exhibition has been kept to a minimum.
How to experience the exhibition:
All you need to do is download the special app here and aim your camera to discover the hidden artworks. Post it on the ‘gram, pose, play. Follow the clues via GPS to stroll across the park and catch sight of all the artworks. Seeing the Invisible app is accessible on both iPhone and Android.
Please note:
- The app will work on phones/tablets up to four years old. Some phones will work better than others.
- Download the App prior to setting off.
- Please come with your phone battery fully charged.
- Consider bringing earphones as most artworks have an audio aspect.
For more information, please visit the Seeing the Invisible website.
Where: At the National Gardens, Athens
When: October 2022 – September 2023. Visiting Hours: During garden’s opening hours
