Client: Mural Arts of Philadelphia

Overview

In collaboration with Philadelphia Mural Arts Education, Haverford School, and Mural Arts resident artists King Britt (Music Producer/Philadelphia, PA) and Joshua Mays (Mural Artist, Oakland, CA) we developed a large-scale AR experience and companion app based on the real-life mural: Dreams, Diaspora, and Destiny (5325 Lansdowne Ave, Philadelphia).

3D visual elements in the artistic aesthetic were built out from the face of the mural to extend and enhance the experience of an otherwise flat work of art. Spatial audio is tied to every augmented object, providing a narrative theme with music and sound bytes as the space is explored.

Goals

The Haverford School, Dream Syndicate, Mays and Britt worked together to engage the students in an unusual synthesis of public and private school perspectives. The project initiated a conversation about the future of the neighborhood, teaching the students how to interview their neighbors and compose their own music.

Process

Using the youth-created sounds, Britt created an original score for the mural that viewers can access through the MuralArtsAR app (available through iTunes). Dream Syndicate used image recognition software to bring the mural to life, integrating art and technology in Philadelphia’s first augmented reality mural experience.