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Summer of AR

Summer of AR

Four outstanding examples of cultural institutions putting augmented reality to work.

Ah summer — a time for beaches, sunshine, and of course trips to the museum for amazing AR experiences. Here are a few outstanding examples of cultural institutions putting augmented reality to use in engaging and innovative ways this season.

Rose Kennedy Greenway Outdoor AR Exhibition, Boston, MA

The Greenway app on a phone, holding a historical black and white photograph of Boston's South Station in front of the same street corner today.

The largest AR installation launched in North America at the time, the Rose Kennedy Greenway brings a whole new meaning to “a walk in the park.” With 16 AR stops around the 1.5-mile park, visitors can enjoy historical images of Boston, educational audio, and augmented reality art installations through the park’s AR app, Hoverlay.

The Dali Museum: Visual Magic, St. Petersburg, FL

Salvador Dali's The Hallucinogenic Toreador animating in augmented reality, the painting's hidden faces and figures shifting into view.

What do you get when you put together Salvador Dali experts, exceptional storytellers, augmented reality specialists, and a robust mobile tour platform? Something surreal. The Dali Museum’s exhibition “Visual Magic: Dali’s Masterworks in Augmented Reality” highlights key aspects of Dali’s works and puts them in motion. 3D animations are overlaid on the masterworks and illuminate the complex elements and overall themes layered into each one.

Serpentine Galleries, London, UK

A hand holds a phone running the Actual Reality app outside the neoclassical Serpentine gallery, the screen showing a data visualisation rising from a maze plaque.

Art, data, technology, and social justice come together at London’s Serpentine Galleries. Through artist Hito Steyerl’s Actual Reality app, visitors see artistic interpretations of local demographic data. The towering visualisations of wage, health, housing, and hunger gaps make an impactful statement about inequality in London.

BBC Civilizations AR App, everywhere

A gilded Egyptian sarcophagus placed in a living room through the BBC Civilizations AR app, with Listen and Xray buttons overlaid.

Staying close to home this summer? Visitors can explore antiquities through the BBC Civilizations AR app. It puts ancient artifacts at a user’s fingertips and guides them through educational and interactive activities. You can examine an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus, restore the luster of a Corinthian helmet, and even translate the Rosetta Stone.

You’ve got the exhibitions, we’ve got the AR

Let’s talk about how Guru can help you create an outstanding AR experience for your visitors. Get in touch with our team.

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