Emporium Creative Hub unveils augmented reality app The Bendigo ARt Trail | Bendigo Advertiser | Bendigo, VIC

Emporium Creative Hub unveils augmented reality app The Bendigo ARt Trail

A DIGITAL art trail will encourage people to visit Bendigo’s attractions while shining a light on regional artists.

Developed by the Emporium Creative Hub, The Bendigo ARt Trail brings artists works to life using augmented reality.

By downloading the Bendigo ARt Trail app, people can discover hidden artworks while learning about the artists and nearby creative venues.

“This has been a really exciting project for us to work on, which has allowed us to upskill local artists, create opportunities for collaboration and explore new technology” Emporium Creative Hub manager David Hughes said.

Bendigo artist Kim Lowe has worked with the trail to bring a work featuring Chinese imperial dragon Sun Loong to life outside the Golden Dragon Museum.

She had already created the work using acrylic paints but jumped at the chance to join Emporium’s digital art trail.

“It’s the ideal subject matter to bring to life,” she said. “Being a Bendigo born and bred person, I have a real passion for Bendigo heritage. I love showcasing Bendigo’s history.

“This piece had a lot of colour in it and I wanted to bring some movement and sound to it and let people feel that real excitement you get from going to the Easter parades.”

Ms Lowe said it was challenge to learn the software that accompanies her augmented reality work of Sun Loong but that the final product was amazing.

“Mine works well and has Chinese drums and fireworks, Sun Loong’s eyes blink as he wakes from the museum. I hope families like it,” she said.

“Most of us were novices when it came to the software but it was fun to think about the options you had to display it as an augmented reality experience.”

Ms Lowe has a second work on the Bendigo ARt Trail with her piece Outside the Box exploring how artowrks begin as black and white doodles before taking shape. It is located in the Exhibit B art space in the Bendigo Bank Central building.

“Doodles start as a brainstorm on paper and the end result stems from that somehow,” she said. “The work is a levitating cube that has neon icons on each of the faces.

“Emporium Creative Hub has done fantastic work in showcasing Bendigo artists and giving us the opportunity to extend our practice and get people viewing our artworks.”

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