UNITY AR | Virtual public art installation

Invisible 22metre diameter, geo-located, Augmented Reality free public art project by Richard Payne in collaboration with tech innovators Taylors Surveying and music composer Probir Dutt.

You can only see this VIRTUAL INSTALLATION through your smart phone using the free: ‘AuraVista AR’ App. From your iOS or Android store.

Unity AR was a finalist in the 2020 Real World VR international competition for best XR Artist.

The installation is secretly dropped into various locations globally including: Art Centre Melbourne Lawn AUSTRALIA, Hyde Park London UK, Christchurch New Zealand, Indonesia, etc.

Contact me for a specific location near you.

Dates: Free 365 days public access In daylight hours.

Nice to have: Great headset for the music.

ARtists Interpretation | Richard Payne

My AR journey began in 2016 when Taylors offered an opportunity to explore VR.  We realised this ground breaking form of expressing and experiencing art is set to influence the future direction of art. The seamless, aesthetic fusion of reality, animated fine artwork, electronic music and state-of-the-art technology is an immersive artform that procures the viewer as an integral part of the work.

 ‘Unity’ is the most recent and ambitious work from our collaboration. 

 Hovering invisibly abovethe ACM (Arts Centre Melbourne) front lawn in Melbourne is ‘UNITY’by artist Richard Payne – an audacious, building sized Augmented Reality (AR) art installation with integrated electronic music exploring a vision of unified diversity.

Beyond the visual and audible feast, Unity celebrates the universal beauty of the individual and the bringing together of diverse things, people, cultures and philosophies forming a multicultural view that’s able to evolve beyond an isolated individual…The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Here the primaries of light; Red, Green, Blue with Black & White are metaphoric of all things.

Stepping into any of the coloured zones we’re engulfed by its visual and audible beauty, an all-embracing world. We’re in wonder at the sheer beauty and truth of that individual colour, it colours how we see the world and its music resonates with our soul focussing our emotional experience inwards.

Move into another colour, that too is beautiful in a different way, whispering different truths... metaphorically, each individual is amazing in itself, with amazing potential to soar upwards. Also, our individual, subjective position filters our perception. 

Centrally hangs a foreboding sphere.  It’s impossible for us to know what’s inside. We can only hypothesise based on our limited experience of one colour until we have the courage to do the unthinkable; to move beyond our individual colour, step through the spheres impenetrable wall into an unknowable, new existence.  This talks to the expanded consciousness created through retaining our own individuality whilst harmonising with others and allowing others their individuality. 

At an esoteric level; whilst walking around the artwork the viewer is an important, active part of the Unity art installation experience and simultaneously, as a member of Australian society (even as a visitor), an important, active part of the real-world, multi-cultural Australian experience. Art and reality merged

Created by: Melbourne AR artist Richard Payne, tech innovators Taylors and composer Probir Dutt.  

Get AuraVista AR free: iOS or Android or via www.AuraVistaAR.com or www.richardpayne.com.au 

At the ACM lawn, follow the set-up prompts. Might take a few minutes if satellites are cranky.

Various global locations : The Arts Centre Melbourne Australia (ACM) lawn 100 St Kilda Road Melbourne AUSTRALIA , Hyde Park London