SculptAR: Exploring the Potential of Participatory Augmented Reality and Virtual Experiences in the Contemporary Art Museum

Abstract

This paper explores the art museum experience through the lens of participatory augmented reality (AR) and the virtual landscape of museums intensified by COVID-19. Traditionally, art museums offer a one-way deliverance of content where visitors passively consume the material that the museum puts on display. Participatory and virtual experiences challenge this model by offering visitors a more active role in participating in discussions surrounding the museum and helping shape exhibitions. Taking an approach that combines theory and practice, I created a participatory AR application for the Nasher Museum of Art. I used the development of this application as a site for reflection on the potential of participatory experiences in art museums and how AR could best be leveraged by these institutions. The first section of this paper documents this process while the latter situates this thesis within the unique situation art museums are facing amidst a global pandemic. Due to temporary closures, the art museum experience exists exclusively through the virtual. This section examines how museums have adapted to these circumstances and speculates the potential of AR within the increasingly relevant virtual museum.