Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The London Mastaba returns to the Serpentine in AR
Artists’ final large-scale public artwork recreated in Augmented Reality by Acute Art in collaboration with the Serpentine Galleries.
Acute Art are delighted to announce from today (8 July) visitors to Hyde Park can virtually summon one of the best loved public artworks of recent years, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The London Mastaba, on their smartphones. The launch of The London Mastaba AR (Hyde Park) (2020) brings this iconic sculpture back to the Serpentine via the free Acute Art app and will be an exact virtual replica of the physical sculpture installed in 2018.
The London Mastaba, Serpentine Lake, Hyde Park, 2016-2018, a temporary sculpture made of colourful stacked barrels, was the artists’ first major public work in the UK. The London Mastaba AR (Hyde Park) will evoke the memory of the sculpture, which floated on the Serpentine lake for just over three months in 2018 and was accompanied by an exhibition of the artists’ work at the Serpentine Galleries. Planned before Christo’s death in May 2020, this is an opportunity to share the last public work realised in Christo’s lifetime with a global audience and celebrate the memory of his and Jeanne-Claude’s visionary projects.
The translation of the Mastaba into Augmented Reality gives audiences a chance to play at being the artist, placing the sculpture within the landscapes of Kensington Gardens and beyond. Viewers will be able to explore a virtual version of the installation through their smartphones when they visit The Serpentine Lake.
In addition to the site specific AR work, Acute Art will also develop The London Mastaba AR (2020)- a version that users can place at home or wherever they are.
In 2018, Acute Art developed The London Mastaba (2016-18) in virtual reality and 360° video in collaboration with The Serpentine Galleries. Read more about the project here.
How to view
To view The London Mastaba AR (Hyde Park) on The Serpentine Lake
Download the Acute Art app on the App Store or Google Play here*
Walk to the viewing area, which is directly across from the Serpentine Lido, on the bankside walkway
Once you’re in the viewing area and with the Acute Art app open, select ‘start experience’
Click on the ‘Artwork Nearby’ pop up, which will indicate the direction of the artwork. The work will appear after approximately 20-40 seconds depending on the GPS network
Share photos or videos from the app
* The devices supported are iPhone X or above, and Samsung Galaxy S8 or equivalent. The app requires a phone with a minimum of 4GB of memory and Apple iOS 11 or Android 8.0 Oreo (API 24) operating system
To view the The London Mastaba AR at home
Download the Acute Art app on the App Store or Google Play here*
Select Christo and Jeanne-Claude and The London Mastaba AR
Point your smartphone screen towards the floor (you will see it through the camera in your phone)
Tap the screen to place the AR work
Share photos or videos from the app
* The devices supported are iPhone X or above, and Samsung Galaxy S8 or equivalent. The app requires a phone with a minimum of 4GB of memory and Apple iOS 11 or Android 8.0 Oreo (API 24) operating system