An exciting new interactive exhibit opened at the Art Gallery of Ontario in July of 2017. Artist Alex Mayhew created ReBlink, an augmented reality app that transforms the gallery viewing experience. Nine historic paintings from the Gallery’s permanent collection are remixed with modern day references, transforming the subjects into living, animated participants engaged in everyday activities. The result is greater engagement of visitors with the art, extending their time spent with an individual piece, and deepening their appreciation of the work. While this experience is only available at AGO, early concepts by the same artist have shown how this exhibit could be remotely accessible in digital format. Using the advanced capabilities of ARCore and ARKit, the artwork is presented as a portal the user can enter and explore. This is possible due to the advanced mapping and tracking abilities that ARCore and ARKit provide for developers.

Powers has used similar emerging technology to explore miniature works of art, to experience a total solar eclipse, and to understand the mechanics of bioluminescent life forms. We are currently engaged in developing virtual and augmented reality experiences with dragons. We understand how to best apply new and emerging technologies to educate, engage and entertain.