Artists Elmgreen & Dragset invite viewers into virtual world powered by Aurasma.
The tradition of viewing art is set to be transformed with today’s launch of radical interactive content to accompany the new commission by Elmgreen and Dragset for the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square. In collaboration with s[edition], the leading digital platform for collecting contemporary art, the Scandinavian artistic duo invites visitors to experience the sculpture in the virtual world using augmented reality.
For the first time, visitors can further engage with the Fourth Plinth commission, which is funded by the Mayor of London with support from Arts Council England. They will be able to access exclusive content via the s[edition] iPhone app, powered by Aurasma, the world’s leading augmented reality platform, and using the Aurasma app for smartphones.
When devices are pointed at the sculpture’s plaque, users will receive a three-dimensional rendering of the sculpture, along with unique footage of Elmgreen & Dragset presenting their work.
The artists have also collaborated with s[edition] to create a digital limited edition artwork celebrating the commissioned sculpture.
Designed to be viewed on digital devices from iPhones to televisions, the limited edition features a unique digital rendition of the bronze sculpture on the plinth. To commemorate the unveiling, s[edition] will offer members of the public the chance to own one of 5,000 limited editions, worth £35 each, for free before 5pm GMT on Friday 24 February 2012.
The editions are limited to one per person and can be accessed via the s[edition] website:
www.seditionart.com/elmgreen_and_dragset/powerless_structures
Michael Elmgreen said: “The internet has created possibilities for experiencing artworks in a totally different way. You do not need to be there in a physical sense at the location to actually get an impression of the work. So it broadens the possibilities to reach other audiences apart from the people in Trafalgar Square.”
Ingar Dragset stated: “When we developed the sculpture itself in a 3D format, we used the computer as well as a tool. It is a big part of most artists’ working process. What you see with our s[edition] limited edition is the computer manipulated sculpture turning around, with the blue sky in the background, and it loops endlessly.”
Robert Norton, co-founder and CEO of s[edition], said: “It is thrilling to be partnered with Elmgreen& Dragset and Aurasma on such a groundbreaking initiative. This is the first time we have seen major artists bring the physical and virtual worlds together using augmented reality powered by Aurasma, and we believe it will pave the way for the future.”
Commissioned by the Mayor of London and supported by the Arts Council England, Elmgreen & Dragset’s new sculpture for the Fourth Plinth was unveiled on 23 February 2012 in Trafalgar Square, London. Entitled Powerless Structures, Fig 101, the artwork features a 4.1m high golden bronze sculpture portraying a boy on a rocking horse with his right arm thrust high in the air. Powerless Structures, Fig.101 is supported by AlixPartners with Louis Vuitton.
Available for iPhone and Android smartphones, Aurasma uses advanced image and pattern recognition technology to seamlessly blend the real world with interactive digital content called “Auras”. Auras can be created for images, objects and physical places. Users can even use the simple tools in the app to create and add their own Auras to the world. A 3D version of Powerless Structures, Fig 101 will be available on the Aurasma platform for users to place into the real world, view and share.
To download the free s[edition] & Aurasma Lite apps:
itunes.apple.com/us/app/sedition-art/
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/aurasma
Artists Biography
Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, based in Berlin and London, have worked together as an artist duo since 1995. They have held numerous solo exhibitions in art institutions worldwide, including Serpentine Gallery and Tate Modern in London, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam, ZKM Museum of Modern Art in Karlsruhe, The Power Plant in Toronto, MUSAC in Léon, and Kunsthalle Zürich. Their work has been included in the Berlin, Sao Paulo, Gwangju, Moscow, Singapore and Istanbul biennials, and in 2009 they received a special mention for their exhibition “The Collectors” in The Nordic and Danish Pavilions at the 53rd Venice Biennale. Amongst their most well known works are “Prada Marfa” – a full scale replica of a Prada boutique in the middle of the Texan desert, and “Short Cut” – a car and a caravan breaking through the ground which was first shown in Milan and now resides in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. A major exhibition is planned at the Victoria and Albert Museum for Autumn 2013.
s[edition]
s[edition] is the leading digital platform for collecting contemporary art, bringing digital limited edition artworks by the world’s leading artists to mobile phones, iPads, computers and television screens. s[edition] offers everyone an immediate, fun and social way to experience collecting, at affordable prices from $8 to $800 (£5 to £500). The platform allows users to follow artists, browse and acquire works, download them to digital devices and screens, send editions as gifts to friends, and start their own collections. Artists featured include Mat Collishaw, Michael Craig-Martin, Elmgreen & Dragset, Tracey Emin, Shepard Fairey, Damien Hirst, Isaac Julien, Tim Noble & Sue Webster, Bill Viola and Wim Wenders.
www.seditionart.com
