Courtesy of Acute ArtArt & Photography / NewsArt & Photography / NewsOlafur Eliasson, Cao Fei, and more display AR works at London’s Unreal CityThe exhibition by Acute Art is the capital’s biggest public festival of AR artShareLink copied ✔️December 1, 2020December 1, 2020TextDazed DigitalUnreal City Art production company Acute Art has joined forces with Dazed Media to present London’s biggest public festival of AR art. Taking place between December 8 and January 5, the exhibition features 36 sculptures arranged as a walking tour along the River Thames. The digital sculptures, created to be experienced in AR using Apple’s ARKit, are arranged across 24 sites between Waterloo Bridge and Millennium Bridge on the Southbank. There’s works by Olafur Eliasson, Cao Fei, Alicja Kwade, Koo Jeong A, and Marco Brambilla, as well as never-seen-before pieces by Darren Bader, KAWS, Bjarne Melgaard, and Tomás Saraceno. “The current pandemic has caused immeasurable suffering and disrupted so much of our everyday existence together. This is especially true for those of us who value and take part in cultural life,” said Eliasson. “Because many of the important cultural sites that we take for granted are all closed – cinemas, theatres, concert houses, clubs, museums and stadiums – the only public spaces where we can move about safely together is outdoors, in the shared space of the city. It’s important to celebrate – even now – that public space belongs to all of us and that it is, in fact, very valuable,” he added. “The boundary between the virtual and the real is becoming obscure, which exists in memory, history, and the interweaving of imagination and reality,” said Cao Fei. “With this in mind, we will have a broader understanding of reality, space, and temporality. As we come to accept that augmented reality is also part of reality, it will be the multiverse of our future existence and perception.” To view the exhibition, guests must download the free Acute Art app on their device to download the map and view the artworks. If you’re not able to see the AR come to life IRL, here’s some of what spectators have discovered on their trips through London: Bjarne Melgaard’s police officer turned half-man half-octopus, “Devil Man”, who doesn’t offer the friendliest of welcomes; Nina Chanel Abney’s “Imaginary Friend” floating calmly above the Thames; a terrifying, huge (and hairy) spider courtesy of Tomás Saraceno; and the surprising appearance of ice cubes, spinning tops, and flowering shrubs. Unreal City will run from December 8 to January 5, 2021. Watch a teaser above, and see some of the individual pieces below. The teaser was shot on iPhone by Kate Villevoye. The sculptures were created to be experienced in AR using Apple’s ARKit. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREThese atmospheric photos spotlight Finland’s cruising sceneDazed Club is taking over Selfridges for four nights of Club CultureOnMeet the creatives turning up the heat in Lagos with Burna Boy and OnThese photos from Ukraine capture the absurdity of life in wartimeMeet the curator and artists behind Resurgence: Craft ReimaginedArt shows to leave the house for in April 20268 new photo books for springtime5 of the most boundary-pushing artists at Art Basel Hong KongThe most loved photo stories of March 2026Whispers Against My Neck: These photos document the chaos of youthPodunk: Nadia Lee Cohen and Scarlett Carlos Clarke’s enigmatic new bookThis photo series depicts youth culture in summer along the DanubeEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy