AR Biennale

Hybrid Nature

May 14 – October 29 2023

Theo Thriantafyllidis & Mirevi, BugSim, 2023

Augmented reality art enables us to imagine new visions of nature: under the theme of Hybrid Nature, the second edition of the AR Biennale shows ten international artists and collectives in Düsseldorf's Ehrenhof and Hofgarten.

The AR works render the interfaces between physical and digital worlds visible. They challenge our understanding of what nature and culture are, how they relate to each other and whether it is even possible to separate them. The artistic works present a different, hybrid future in which these dividing lines become blurred, allowing for humorous, critical and speculative experiences of an expanded nature.

WITH

Afroscope (Nana Opoku)

Banz & Bowinkel

Nancy Baker Cahill

CXC

Felix Giesen

Nadine Kolodziey

Lauren Moffatt

Mélodie Mousset & Eduardo Fouilloux

Filip Markiewicz

Tamiko Thiel & /p

Theo Triantafyllidis X Mirevi

Curators: Judith Winterhager und Sonja Wunderlich

Like Alice in Wonderland, visitors can embark on a fantastic walk; with incredible experiences of nature and hybrid plant and animal forms. As humans and nature converge, a variety of new landscapes emerge, inviting co-creation, discussion and exploration.

Augmented reality (AR) is one of the most exciting current forms of representation for contemporary artists. Following the world's first AR Biennale, the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf is once again offering this young art form a prominent platform. Digital sculptures by ten international artists can be seen throughout the Ehrenhof and Hofgarten.

You can explore the Ehrenhof and Hofgarten with your own smartphone or tablet and interact with the works in real time.

APP + PRICE

With the help of the app AR Biennale 2023, you can view and experience the digital works that make the diverse connections between nature, humans and technology visible.

You can download the app from the APP stores for Android and iOS (App Store / Google Play Store).

It costs a one-time fee of 7.99 euros and can be used for the entire duration of the AR Biennale. This means you can visit the entire AR Biennale as often as you like over a period of six months.

Link Apple Store (will be added)

Ling Google Play Store (will be added)

OPENING HOURS

You can view the works in Düsseldorf at any time with your device and the app. Please note that the app only works during daylight hours.

TECHNICAL CHECK

Unfortunately, not every mobile device is AR-enabled. For the best experience, we recommend a tablet or iPad. The following devices are suitable for the app:

Check if your smartphone is suitable for the app. The following operating systems support AR:

Android ab Version 8.X

iOS ab Version 12.X

The app is approx. 260 MB in size. It is best to download the app in advance via WLAN so that you do not use up your mobile data volume.

Your smartphone or tablet should be fully charged, as the app requires a lot of battery power. A power bank is always helpful!

What One Sows008 blue Rheingärtchen 2022 11 28 012208 300dpi 32x18cm

In times of conflict and ongoing economic and ecological crises, people long for nature. It is increasingly used to give life to digital landscapes too, whether in AR and XR apps or the metaverse, although often in an idealised and aesthetically exaggerated form. Theorists such as Timothy Morton or Donna Haraway have distanced themselves from conceptions of an original or primordial nature and prefer to think of it as something that is culturally, historically and technologically shaped. Is it possible to imagine nature without humans, without technology and digitalisation? Are we already living in a post-natural age? One thing is clear: nature is multifaceted and emotionally charged.

Augmented Reality is not a technical gimmick; the works in this Biennale challenge visitors and create productive ideas for a future beyond their imagination.

WebXR artwork to try out

Bring CXC's Hyperspecies right into your living room!

London-based artist duo CXC has created a WebXR artwork for the second AR Biennale. This technology allows you to view the augmented reality work directly from your browser without installing an app first.

What is WebXR?

For some years now, there have been approaches to be able to use AR via websites. Functions that were previously reserved for native apps should in future be able to be used via the web. The new web standard WebXR will enable cross-platform and uniform development of Mixed Reality (XR) applications on the web in the future.

Hyperspecies depicts an ever-evolving, unreal organism that is navigating an interconnected ecosystem, existing on the augmented plane. The entity floats through its environment, slowly adapting to the interferences that disturb its flow.

London artist duo CXC challenge users to rediscover the human relationship with the natural world and to reflect on or interrogate the impact they make on the planet through an augmented reality experience.

CXC is a creative practice formed by Christie Morgan and Chris Golden. The artists explore interconnected ecosystems in both online and offline spaces.

They employ emerging technologies like CGI, 3D animation and extended realities to tell these stories.

Many thanks to our partner TWT for the implementation of the WebXR Experience.

How it works:

After you have downloaded the AR Biennale 2023 app for a fee from the AppStore (Google Play Store / Apple Store), you can get started: look for the ten metal signs in Düsseldorf's Hofgarten and Ehrenhof. Two are also placed on the banks of the Rhine.

SCAN IT!

There is a sign next to each artwork in the park. Tap the Scan button and point your camera at the sign. As soon as the circular loading symbol turns green, the AR work will appear. This process can take a moment.

Many works are interactive and have sound. Make sure your device is not set to mute. Follow the instructions by clicking on the info button at the bottom right.

#arhybridnature: Selfies & Co.

Share your personal AR Biennale moment by using the photo/video button: tap for a photo, hold for a video. The files will be saved locally on your device in the AR Biennale 2023 folder in your Albums/Gallery. Post them on Instagram, TikTok and your other socials – don’t forget the hashtags #arhybridnature #nrwforum!