Mel Chin's AR Flood Engulfs Times Square
Mel Chin's augmented reality installation 'Wake and Unmoored' transforms Times Square into a flooded underwater scene through September 5, 2018. The project comprises a physical 18-meter sculpture 'Wake'—a shipwreck with a robotic female figurehead inspired by the USS Nightingale, a 19th-century slave ship—and a virtual component 'Unmoored' viewable via Microsoft's HoloLens or a dedicated app. The AR experience overlays rising waters, shipwrecks, and marine creatures onto the iconic plaza, illustrating apocalyptic climate change consequences. Microsoft adapted HoloLens technology for outdoor use, as holograms typically aren't visible in natural light. The work is part of 'Mel Chin: All Over the Place' at the Queens Museum (through August 12, 2018), curated by Laura Raicovich and Manon Slome. Chin stated, 'It's a surreal experience designed to connect us to reality.'
Key facts
- Mel Chin's AR installation 'Wake and Unmoored' floods Times Square virtually.
- Physical sculpture 'Wake' is an 18-meter shipwreck with a robotic figurehead.
- Figurehead inspired by USS Nightingale, a 19th-century slave ship.
- Virtual component 'Unmoored' viewable via Microsoft HoloLens or app.
- HoloLens adapted for outdoor use to make holograms visible in sunlight.
- Project runs until September 5, 2018.
- Part of 'Mel Chin: All Over the Place' at Queens Museum until August 12, 2018.
- Curated by Laura Raicovich and Manon Slome.
Entities
Artists
- Mel Chin
Institutions
- Microsoft
- Queens Museum
Locations
- Times Square
- New York City
- United States