documenta fifteen AR(t)
How to crash an Art Exposition
What is documenta ?
Documenta is one of the world's most important exhibition of contemporary art, which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. It was founded by Arnold Bode in 1955. documenta fifteen 2022 was under the direction of Ruangrupa, an Indonesian art collective. After a scandal in summer 2022, artworks had to be removed. So we added some new artworks to this great exhibition.
The only Augmented Reality Art which was shown at the documenta 15 was created by the artist collective FAFSWAG, in particular by Tanu Gago and Mahia Jermaine Dean. Their AR scuplture is titled Atua. This is the name of deities of the underworld in the Pacific belief system. Great work of FAFSWAG and congratulations.
FAFSWAG, Group portrait at the Arts Foundation Laureate Awards, Wellington, 2020, Photo: FAFSWAG
Why crash an art exhibition?
Even most talented artists never will have the chance to show their unique work in a international art exhibition. It is even more difficult for female artist: Female Artists Represent just 2 Percent of the Market. It is also unlikely that people can afford art from a art exhibition.
“It was my dream to show my art at documenta. Some people crash weddings, why not crash an exhibition?”, says Sarah Montani, “With AR, my art can be shared around the globe, for free and without boundaries.”
The artworks of Sarah Montani can be taken away: It’s Art to go. Any person can display them in their home, play with them, and install them wherever they want: on the water, in fragrant treetops, into the clouds. This art form shows the accessibility and boundlessness of art: Open Art, Art for everbody, Art that connects. She has created one Metasfere for every hour of the day: Just try it out here.
"The particular aesthetic of augmented reality art stems from the appearance that the virtual art and the physically real environment exist in the same space. It’s like we ask ourselves if we exist, if we are here." says Sarah Montani.
Man Walking to the Sky by Jonathan Borofski X Metasfere I by Sarah Montani, visualized by Gerhard Knolmayer, 2022
What was crashed?
Augmented reality sculpture by Swiss Artist Sarah Montani X APTIQ where visualized in seven art installations.
Arriving at Kulturbahnhof Kassel, the first Metasfere merged with the sculpture Man Walking to the Sky by Jonathan Borofsky. The Augmented Reality Sphere symbolizes the future that the sky striker will soon walk in. The Metasfere is on his way, it conveys the impression that he will not achieve his goal with his previous approaches.
A second installation took place at the frame construction Rahmenbau by the Austrian architect-artist community Haus-Rucker-Co. The "architecture for the perception and supplementation of earthly environment" - which was created for documenta 6 in 1977 - is supplemented here 45 years later by Augmented Reality.
Installations of the Metasferes at documenta were created under the artistic direction of Prof. Gerhard Knolmayer of Dusty Art Studios & Gallery. You can find videos and more documenta-realted Metasferes installations on his website.
Metasfere X Rahmenbau Haus-Rucker-Co X Gerhard Knolmayer 2022
Whats happening with our Mind?
The series of works visualize how ARt (Augmented Reality Art) is changing our world and our perception of boundaries. The aesthetic of Augmented Reality art stems from the appearance that the virtual art and the physically real environment exist in the same space. With ARt no boundaries exists yet: Artworks and Sculptures can be shared and installed everywhere.
All the artists working on this project accomplishes their dream to show their Artwork in an international art exhibition and share ther art for free and without boundaries.
A big thank you to Prof. Gerhard Knolmayer, Joey Montani (APTIQ), Nicolas Montani (Marketing) and FAFSWAG for their inspiration and work.