The Augmented Reality Public Art in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor

The Augmented Reality Public Art in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor

Two projects that use augmented reality as site-specific public artworks will be presented. These works celebrate the ordinary activities in Baltimore’s downtown Inner Harbor that often go unseen.

On land is "NONUMENT 01:: McKeldin Fountain”, the first virtual monument located in the heart of Baltimore’s downtown free speech zone. This augmented reality public art project is in opposition to bronze and stone, the nonument or “no monument” recreates the destroyed half-acre Brutalist-style monument that was a center-piece for a diversity of downtown community members. With this project, anyone can hold up their smartphone like a protest sign and put back the fountain. Doing so will activate a life-size recreation of the 18 waterfalls and multi-story architecture along with first-hand memories by historically marginalized voices. Baltimoreans reminisce on protests, including uprisings following the death of Freddie Gray, Peace Vigils, LGBTQ issues and Occupy Baltimore and much more that happened at the site. This project is in collaboration with Martin Bricelj Baraga, Neja Tomšič and Jaimes Mayhew.

Underneath Baltimore’s Harbor water the AR project [in progress] reveals microbial invisibilities. “Eyes Under the Bay” works with the National Aquarium and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, collecting water data in real time. Chesapeake Bay data will be streamed live creating poetic and billowing sounds and images that animate unseen underwater life. The water itself will tell the story under the bay. This project is in collaboration with marine biologist, Dr. Tsetso Bachvaroff, UMCES, IMET.