When we think of virtual art nowadays, NFTs are likely the first thing that comes to mind. While these assets have indeed made their mark on the art world, an LA studio has developed a way to keep printed artwork engaging in today’s digital age.
Publishing studio ADLAR Studio prints fine artists’ original works and then brings those prints to life using augmented reality (AR) tech. ADLAR works alongside visual effects technicians who specialize in areas like 3D animation, volumetric capture and artificial intelligence to activate the prints. Users can view the result by scanning a print through ADLAR’s mobile app. The company announced the launch of this tech on Tuesday with two prints by Analia Saban and Shane Guffogg.
“I’m inspired by technology, and I’m always thinking about how new technologies change the course of art history,” Saban said in a statement. “The same way that the introduction of industrial processes, new pigments or photography has had a deep effect on art, I’ve been thinking about how crypto, NFTs, virtual and augmented realities will affect the way we make and consume art.”
ADLAR is the brainchild of Larry Jones, a veteran in the Hollywood content creation business, and Adam Gross, who boasts more than two decades of experience in fine art print-making. ADLAR is the result of the pair’s shared passion for marrying traditional visual art with digital technology.
“More people are experiencing art in different ways, and we are excited that ADLAR Studio is bringing both traditional printmaking and cutting-edge AR technologies to fine art print collectors and new digital natives, whether they are just beginning to collect or have established collections,” Jones said in a statement.
ADLAR’s first two AR-activated, limited-edition prints are currently available for sale on its site, and it’s already getting to work on its next batch of prints. Planned for this fall, the company has more projects underway from artists including Marilyn Minter, Kenny Scharf and Matthew Brandt.
The ADLAR app was built using the Unity gaming engine as well as Apple’s ARKit development platform for iOS. The mobile app is only currently available for download from the Apple App Store, but ADLAR plans to roll it out on Google Play in the coming months.
“The technology now available on our mobile devices is ushering in a whole new way to experience traditional printmaking,” Jones said. “This is just the beginning of us doing our part in building the metaverse of the future.”
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