GLAMi nomination: Augmented Reality: Saving the Baptistery of San Giovanni and Uncovering the Adoration of the Magi

Saving the Baptistery of San Giovanni and Uncovering the Adoration of the Magi were part of a “pop-up” exhibition from The San Diego Museum of Art and Great Masters Art Authentication, created by The Guru.

Using augmented reality “triggers” the experience immerses the viewer in an exploration of a historic building and an unfinished work of art. The goal is to engage the viewer by approaching art history from a different perspective: that of the preservation hero. Rather than simply telling a story about the historic building in Florence or the iconic painting by Da Vinci, the user is asked to participate and through those activities learn about the subjects in an engaging manner.

In the Baptistery of San Giovanni, the protagonist flies around and then into the historic building, using modern day technology to solve building restoration and structural preservation challenges. In the end, a fascinating discovery is made.

The Adoration of the Magi by Da Vinci is a complicated masterpiece. With the help of modern technology, the viewer is able to virtually “wipe” away layers of paint to reveal Leonardo’s original sketches and several surprises along the way.

These AR experiences represent the integration of an emerging entertainment technology with building and art preservation techniques. Through augmented reality, the viewer is able to gain insights into the contributions of technologies like radar, x-ray and multi-spectrum analysis in the efforts of restoration and preservation experts.

Use the Augmented Reality feature of the San Diego Museum of Art app to discover this yourself using these images: