After Snapchat released an augmented reality version of Jeff Koons' famous 'Balloon Dog' sculpture, artist Sebastian Errazuriz took umbrage and created a graffiti-covered version of the sculpture in protest. Snapchat released AR sculpture by pinning the digital manifestation to geographical locations like New York's Central Park, and so Errazuriz placed his ersatz AR sculpture in the exact same location, forcing users to see his tagged up version alongside the pristine original.
According to Errazuriz, the graffiti-covered sculpture is a protest against massive conglomerates and corporations colonizing the invisible, digital world of augmented reality. The AR space has the potential to unlock an entirely new world, with every square inch open to representation through the screen. Corporations have the leg up in this digital domain, but Errazuriz hopes to show the importance of tipping the scales.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Augmented Reality Art
- Creating graffiti-covered versions of popular augmented reality sculptures challenges the dominance of corporations in the digital art space.
- Protest Art
- Using art as a medium for protest in the digital realm sheds light on the colonization of augmented reality by conglomerates.
- Digital Disruption
- Challenging the status quo of digital representation through augmented reality opens up opportunities for disruptive innovation.
Where This Applies
- Art
- The art industry can explore new ways of expression by utilizing augmented reality and incorporating elements of protest and disruption.
- Technology
- The technology industry can develop innovative solutions to democratize augmented reality platforms and provide equal opportunities for artists and creators.
- Advertising
- The advertising industry can leverage augmented reality to create interactive and immersive campaigns that engage consumers in unique ways, going beyond traditional forms of advertising.
