In an exhilarating blend of art and technology, Australian artists have paved the way for a transformative educational experience that resonates on a global scale. Unveiled at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, the new augmented reality (AR) initiative, Deep Field, aspires to inspire co-creation and a profound connection with the environment, all powered by iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.
Crafted by acclaimed Australian creative technologists and artists, Tin Nguyen and Edward Cutting of Tin&Ed, Deep Field is an AR app that brings art and environment together in an immersive format. Initially unveiled in Sydney and soon to be accessible at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the AR initiative invites students and families worldwide to explore, create, and connect through a shared envisioning of the environment.
Leveraging the robust capabilities of the iPad Pro and the precision of the Apple Pencil, Deep Field offers a vibrant, interactive platform for participants to draw their own visions of flora and fauna. After creating their unique plant structures, the sketches are added to a global database in real time, co-creating an entirely new ecosystem that uncovers the hidden worlds of plants through AR. By using the LiDAR Scanner on iPad Pro, participants can see their artworks blossom into dramatic 3D structures, creating an immersive, reimagined natural world.
Deep Field is designed to encourage participants to rethink their perspectives on the planet. Through the creation of plants that have existed for millennia, or completely new and imagined species, participants learn to see the world through new eyes. The app’s UV mode allows participants to perceive their created world from a different dimension, simulating the perspective of a pollinator.
Tin&Ed, the creators of Deep Field, are multidisciplinary artists known for their vibrant, playful, and interactive experiences that blur the lines between art, design, technology, and the physical and digital worlds. The Deep Field experience is more than just an immersive simulation – it utilizes accessible technology to inspire creativity, while emphasizing the critical need for planetary conservation.
To execute the Deep Field experience on a grand scale, Tin&Ed integrated their artistic and design background with their passion for creative technologies. The power of MacBook Pro, Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, and Studio Display, coupled with the 3D platform Unity, facilitated the creation of intricate three-dimensional worlds optimized for real-time performance. The Deep Field app, developed using Apple’s ARKit framework, integrates the depth-sensing features of the iPad Pro with the M2 chip to produce stunning 3D plant structures in AR.
Complementing the multi-sensory experience, Deep Field features an auditory backdrop of forgotten and extinct species by celebrated audio naturalist Martyn Stewart. This aims to instill a new appreciation for the symphony of sounds in the natural world, further enhancing the immersive experience.
Deep Field is now accessible to students and families at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney and will be available at the Getty Center in Los Angeles from July 8 to July 16. After its run in Sydney and Los Angeles, Deep Field is set to embark on a world tour, reaching Europe in October, followed by Asia in November, including a stop at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore.