Composing a good meme is a mixture of art and science, but this infographic published by Mashable dives into some of the key ingredients that many successful memes share.

Memes are some of the most popular sticker themes
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But if you think that these whimsical marriages of clever words and opportunist imagery are a digital-only phenomenon, well, think again. Getting your Meme to go viral online is one thing. Seeing it materialize in the real world, however, has to count as an extra achievement unlocked. And that’s what is increasingly happening, with people and companies printing their favourite memes as stickers.

And that’s what one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies is dedicated to catering to. StickerYou recently opened a store in Toronto to complement its thriving online business proviving custom stickers for individuals and businesses of all sizes. StickerYou’s Founder and President Andrew Witkin says that memes are some of their most popular sticker themes, and that this fun element is a big part of what draws people to stickers, and why they often become collectible items.

“People have always collected stickers, but the difference these days, of course, is that technology gives people and small brands not only great content like memes to play with, but also the chance to produce customized stickers much more easily. The design tools are intuitive and you can test the ground with a small batch to start with,” he explains.

Many artists and designers are now turning to stickers as a way of extending the creative reach of their work, which makes sense given the way that our virtual an digital worlds are increasingly blending together, not least due to XR technologies that blur those boundaries between atoms and bits every day.

One of those artists is Ricardo Cavolo, an illustrator native to Salamanca, Spain, who has recently developed a special edition of the iconic blue Chiquita banana stickers. You can see the artist at work in the video below, appropriately using a Virtual Reality headset and Tilt Brush to go about creating the stickers that make liberal use of flamboyant colours, vivid imagery, and graffiti/pop art iconography, as well as Cavolo’s emblematic symbol of a heart with flames, which he says is a representation of the power that lies within all of us to overcome adversity.

Many artists and designers are now turning to stickers as a way of extending the creative reach of their work
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There’s been a surge of interest in streetwear lately and stickers are a core part of those cultures
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Luggage brand RIMOWA has also recently launched a range of stickers inspired by sustainability entitled “A collection of stone, lava, meteorite, ice, driftwood, and lichen stickers.” This came about as a result of the collaboration between Olafur Eliasson’s Little Sun Foundation, a non-profit organization with a mission to deliver solar energy to the most vulnerable communities worldwide. Only 500 stickers were made in numbered units packaged in eco-friendly boxes and became available to purchase online on December 3^rd, as well as at select RIMOWA retailers.

And RIMOWA is certainly not alone. Many big brands are capitalizing on the social and collectible nature of stickers as a medium to engage fickle fans.

Technology gives people and small brands not only great content like memes to play with, but also the chance to produce customized stickers much more easily
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According to a recent article in the Guardian, branded stickers are now among the fashion industry’s most sought-after items, as consumers eagerly slap them onto their laptops and other possessions to convey not only affinity with a label, but to reflect their own tastes and personalities. In other words, it signifies you’re part of a subculture.

Skateboard brand Palace for instance, released a sticker pack that sold out within an hour, and rare versions were reselling online for hundreds of dollars soon after. Other examples include stickers of the classic Calvin Klein Jeans image of Brooke Shields (you know the one) and fashion brand Coach which has produced leather stickers, while Berlin-based magazine o32c published a sticker sheet from Louis Vuitton’s creative director, Virgil Abloh.

Electronic musician James Lavelle says there is something about the tactile nature of stickers that gives them an authentic vibe as opposed to a massive digital marketing campaign, which can often feel rather impersonal.

“There’s been a surge of interest in streetwear lately and stickers are a core part of those cultures,” says Alex Powis co-founder of Stickerarchive, an online collection of popular graphics. He compares stickers to a form of coded messaging that lets people know what tribe you belong to.

Maybe one of the reasons I’ve always liked stickers is because mixing and matching – or even deciding where to place them –  lets you be creative without having to possess outstanding artistic talents of your own. I’m OK with the fact that my skills do not extend to drawing (pray you never get paired up with me on a game of Pictionary) but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy visual artistic expression. Stickers are very democratic. Literally anyone can join in the fun on an equal footing.

I am, in fact, writing this on a laptop covered with stickers I bought or collected at various places I visited, conferences I attended, or places I can’t even remember. But the stickers are still here, and long may they endure.

Alice Bonasio is a XR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post The Secret to a Sticky Meme appeared first on Tech Trends.

By Stefano Corazza, Fellow and Head of Augmented Reality, Adobe

Immersive media is becoming increasingly ubiquitous and already changing our everyday interactions. And in the creative world, artists are starting to show us what a powerful tool augmented reality (AR) can be for storytelling. Adobe has always pushed the boundaries of innovation, collaborated with our community, and embraced new storytelling mediums to broaden creative expression. Given AR’s potential to transform experiences of the future, we decided to bring artists in to Adobe even before we had an AR product in development to help us reimagine it.

Given AR’s potential to transform experiences of the future, we decided to bring artists into Adobe even before we had an AR product in development to help us reimagine it
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Immersive media is becoming increasingly ubiquitous and already changing our everyday interactions
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There’s inherent tension between artists’ blue-sky thinking and a product team with a roadmap
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A Residency for experimentation, play, and imagining the future

Adobe’s AR Residency grew out of our collaborative community approach to product development, which prioritizes learning with our artists and designers rather than assuming what they’ll need. We created the residency as a space for curiosity, innovation, and disruption, and as an invitation to members of the creative community to show us how they work. The collaboration has been especially foundational for shaping the development of Project Aero.

“AR is unique because it’s uncharted territory,” says George Zisiadis, Adobe’s AR Residency curator. “There’s no history here. The culture and the industry are making it up as we go.”

Artists add just the right perspective for imagining where AR is headed, says David Montero, one of the lead designers for Project Aero. “To us, one of the best assets that artists provide, other than being creative for a living, is that they don’t have an agenda or a roadmap. They’re free to explore, and this is really important when you’re in the early stages, still getting an understanding of the space.”

Adobe’s AR Residency grew out of our collaborative community approach to product development
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A day in the AR Residency life

Adobe’s artists in residence are all interested in incorporating AR into their work, but they run the gamut from experienced folks who’ve been working with AR since the beginning, to enthusiastic creatives who are trying AR for the first time. Residents work remotely, but once a week they join a meeting to share a new project, and talk about their learnings, challenges, and technical requests.

“It’s an artist’s job to reflect society, so along with their creativity, they bring insights into cultural impacts that we might not see,” says Silka Miesnieks, head of emerging design for Adobe. “During our weekly meetings, we can all get out of our silos and see the whole picture of where AR is going. It’s a beautiful thing.”

The residents’ projects also give the Project Aero team the real-time feedback to investigate how artists are using the tools. “First, I work backward, analyzing the artist’s intent and the features they used,” says David. “Then I work forward. I ask, ‘If Aero offered this, how would the work change? What could this artist achieve if we had more features?’”

During our weekly meetings, we can all get out of our silos and see the whole picture of where AR is going. It’s a beautiful thing
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The discoveries, so far

Some of the discoveries from the AR Residency come from practical, ah-ha moments about the artists’ pain points when they’re creating in AR. For example, one resident told the design team that she needed to lock an axis so she could orient her work in space. Project Aero allows users to lock objects, but not specific parameters—it just wasn’t something the product team had considered.

The Residency is also revealing a lot about how the right immersive tools can push artists’ creativity. Take Marjan Moghaddam’s work – she came to the residency as an established mixed-reality artist, but her workflow was time-consuming and cumbersome.

“My process didn’t allow for a lot of spontaneity or creative play,” she explains. “I was immediately blown away by the idea of having an AR editing tool on a mobile device that I could walk around with. I loved the spontaneity. It allowed me to come up with ideas I never would have thought of before.”

We’re also seeing new possibilities for what artists will create with AR. For example, Dan Mumford, an artist who participated in the Adobe AR residency last year, usually works in 2D print design. During his residency, he took his existing style, separated his work into Photoshop layers, and created AR posters with tunnels viewers could walk through to experience the depth and atmosphere of the piece.

“One of the most enjoyable aspects of this program was being able to explore new ideas and techniques. The focus wasn’t on producing a finished piece – it was an all-out exploration, which made me realize I need to make more time to do this in my daily work,” Dan says.

Bringing all the voices together

At its core, the AR Residency is about working hand-in-hand with artists to build the best tools for the people who’ll use them.

“There’s inherent tension between artists’ blue-sky thinking and a product team with a roadmap,” says George. “It’s our job to build a meaningful dialogue between the two. It’s not just about listening to users. It’s about looking to the artists as visionaries and giving them the chance to engage with their toolmakers as peers. In the end, we’re all coming out of this better than we were when we went in.”

If you’re in San Francisco, register to attend our second installment of the Festival of the Impossible, featuring immersive art installations, on September 26-29, 2019. Explore projects from our first ten AR Residents (and learn more about the AR Residency and how to apply) here, and stay tuned for updates on Project Aero here.

The post Expert View: Exploring Dreams through [AR]T appeared first on Tech Trends.

Artivive recently beat over 600 competing entries to become the first Austrian start-up to join the Berkeley SkyDeck program (considered one of the top ten accelerator programs in the world). The latest six-month cycle begins in January and also includes a six-digit investment amount.

Artivive supply a flexible tool for museums and artists which essentially allows them to integrate Augmented Reality into their existing content with minimal fuss. The aim, explains CEO Codin Popescu, was to give artists a quick and frictionless way to combine analogue and digital art.

“For an artist to create in augmented reality they previously had to build their own isolated solutions, which required technical skills and resources, but now those artists can take visitors on a journey in time and explain what lies behind, enhance the art with illustrations or show how the artworks were made. For museums, exhibitions, galleries and other art institutions it offers a new and innovative way for the audience to interact with the exhibits,” he says.

Artivive supply a flexible tool for museums and artists which allows them to integrate Augmented Reality into their existing content
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The company was started only two years ago by Popescu and his Co-founder Sergiu Ardelean, and is incredibly diverse. Although their main base is in Vienna, they also have a presence in Beijing and Tel Aviv as well as partners in Mexico and Mongolia. Also, half of its 25 employees are women, which is still a sad rarity in the tech world.

To experience any linked work of art in its digitally enhanced format, all the user needs to do is load the app onto their smartphone or tablet, then point it at the chosen piece.

The interesting thing about watching such companies gain prominence in Silicon Valley is that it proves immersive tech is fostering a diverse and thriving global ecosystem
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The Artivive app has proven popular so far, with more than 5500 artists in 65 countries currently using the platform
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Immersive technologies seem like a natural fit with the art-browsing experience since most people experience it on two levels. This dual-level experience means that we’re simultaneously admiring objects in front of you, while at the same time absorbing additional information about them provided by the curators in various forms – from the labels and cards on display next to the objects and cases, to the out-dated audio guides most institutions still offer, to using your smartphone to Google a certain artist, technique, style or piece. It’s therefore little wonder that the app has proven popular so far, with more than 5500 artists in 65 countries currently using the platform.

Immersive technologies seem like a natural fit with the art-browsing experience since most people experience it on two levels
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Artivive will take the opportunity offered by the SkyDeck program to open an office in Berkeley and make inroads in the U.S. arts and cultural market, building on their success back at home in Vienna, where they’ve worked with many of the city’s top museums such as the Belvedere and MAK – The Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art as well as international venues. For the Albertina Museum in Vienna they also created digital content for the exhibition “Film Stills” and integrated AR experiences to the permanent collection “Monet to Picasso”

Artivive will take the opportunity offered by the SkyDeck program to open an office in Berkeley
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We want to build a movement around augmented reality art
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The interesting thing about watching such companies gain prominence in Silicon Valley is that it proves immersive tech is fostering a diverse and thriving ecosystem that isn’t limited to the usual suspects. There is appetite for innovating in the space from all corners of the globe, and that can only be a good thing.

“We want to become the go-to solution for artists, galleries and creators and change the way art is created and consumed while building a community and movement around augmented reality art, Popescu concludes”

For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies our VR Consultancy service offers comprehensive support in strategic deployment of Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Putting AR into Art appeared first on Tech Trends.

Intel and The Smithsonian partner up with Sansar to bring everyone the ephemeral art of Burning Man.

Linden Lab’s Sansar just announced a partnership with Intel and the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) to provide virtual access to the museum’s Renwick Gallery collections as well as its research, and education resources

“With Sansar, we hope not only to make the museum experience more accessible, but to also let people curate their own experiences and share their unique perspectives with the world,” says Jason Gholston, Head of Sansar Studios, which last year launched similar initiatives such as the Art of Star Wars exhibit to help expand the reach of unique and exclusive art collections.

The Smithsonian’s goal in doing this is to expand the reach of the Institution’s collections to a billion people, in five years’ time. This means making its museums’ objects available to the public across a wider range of mediums including immersive domains.

“Technology has the potential to achieve new goals and ambitions for museums and galleries. Immersive technologies, like virtual reality, unlock new and exciting ways to experience art and exhibitions. Fans can now check out the No Spectators collection from their own home,” says Raj Puran, director of immersive technology business development at Intel.

Anyone, anywhere in the world, either on a desktop computer or via Sansar, can now experience these artworks
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With Intel’s advanced data-processing on the Sansar Social VR platform, the Smithsonian has been able to accelerate the digital 3D capture, preservation, and distribution of artefacts in its collections, so that students, educators, and the broader public can virtually access and engage with the museum’s collections from anywhere in the world. It hopes to provide a new kind of viewing experience and transform the museum business, from the creation to the consumption of educational content.

“I don’t fear technology usurping the importance of art and museums,” says Stephanie Stebich, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. “I think technology can make museums and their collections even more inclusive, approachable, and dynamic,” she adds.

The first phase of the partnership will focus on the “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man” exhibit, which features large-scale works of art from the event on view for a limited time at SAAM’s Renwick Gallery. No Spectators captures the spirit of creativity and community, and has been digitized through hours of careful laser scanning and photogrammetry.

Spectators captures the spirit of creativity and community, and has been digitized through hours of careful laser scanning and photogrammetry
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Technology has the potential to achieve new goals and ambitions for museums and galleries
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Anyone, anywhere in the world, either on a desktop computer or via Sansar, can now experience these artworks. So far, 17 pieces of art were digitized for this experience (first phase is the first floor of the Renwick Gallery, in Washington, D.C.). 12,490 photos were used to generate the 3D models of these pieces. This took the team a total of 1,050 labor hours to complete VR ready models of the artworks

“This is an innovative new way to access educational content from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and to preserve art for future generations,” concludes Gholston. “We’re democratizing the museum experience one exhibition at a time.”

This is a really interesting use of immersive technology, since the artistic installations at Burning Man are ephemeral (the event’s “leave no trace” policy sees amazing artworks ritualistically burned to the ground each year) yet here we have a medium which would allow them to become accessible as VR experiences, giving those expressions of creativity a new and permanent home in the virtual world.

VR could actually give a sense of permanence to the essentially ephemeral art of Burning Man
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This article was originally published on VRScout

Experience The Art Of Burning Man In VR via @alicebonasio https://t.co/zQ7Rpr7sMF pic.twitter.com/hepaeefk9T

— VRScout (@VRScout) July 30, 2018

For companies looking to leverage Immersive technologies such as VR/AR/MR/XR Tech Trends offers a comprehensive range of Virtual Reality Consultancy Services.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Creating Virtual Museum Experiences appeared first on Tech Trends.

Artists and galleries are embracing immersive technology to create an emotional connection to their audiences.

Art has been a relative latecomer to the digital revolution – at least where we’re referring to the traditional/classic end of the spectrum – people are used to associating the value of art to seeing it in person, hence the fact that museums and art galleries still rely on special exhibitions for a large share of their revenue. At the time of the app’s first launch ArtFinder Co-founder Chris Thorpe told the Guardian that “The emphasis on art history and institutes has taken away the visceral, emotional experience of art. That experience and excitement should make you what to know more and deepen your engagement with it.”

Art has been a relative latecomer to the digital revolution
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Artfinder built an IMDB-style searchable digital catalogue with hundreds of thousands of paintings, sculptures, and art-related media. The site also contains essays on artists, artworks and artistic movements, making it a useful (and free) reference resource for art discovery, while social open up new opportunities for enjoying art. It allows you to virtually collect and share your favourite artworks, and as users build up a profile that reflects their particular tastes, the system also generates further recommendations of artists and pieces that they might like.

Artfinder built an IMDB-style searchable digital catalogue with hundreds of thousands of paintings, sculptures, and art-related media
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Thorpe believes this element of recommendations when combined with geo-location, adds a crucial element of serendipity to art discovery and keeps that physical connection to the real world which is so crucial to connecting emotionally with a piece of artwork.

“It means that when you’re in Gateshead, the ArtFinder app can suggest that you go to the Baltic. But on a finer grain, because we know where the pictures are held, we can say the next time you’re at Moma, remember to see Starry Night by Van Gogh.”

Enhanced Experiences

For Artivive CEO Codin Popescu, however the experiential element will always be central to how people enjoy and relate to artworks. The key, he believes, is to use immersive technologies such as Augmented Reality to seamlessly add digital elements to those existing and well-loved experiences, making them richer and more accessible in the process.

They want to become the go-to solution for artists, galleries and creators and change the way art is created and consumed while building a community and movement around augmented reality art.

I met Popescu at the Pioneers conference in Vienna in May, where Artivive had won the “Best Austrian Startup” category in the event’s competition. He told me that although his company was only founded in 2017, it had already accrued over 60,000 downloads, with users spending a collective 1.3 million minutes engaging with art via the app. In the past year alone, over 2000 artists in 65 countries have used the platform, supporting over 100 exhibitions 1.5+ million scans nearly 5k original artworks.

“For an artist to create in augmented reality they previously had to build their own isolated solutions, which required technical skills and resources, but now those artists can take visitors on a journey in time and explain what lies behind, enhance the art with illustrations or show how the artworks were made. For museums, exhibitions, galleries and other art institutions it offers a new and innovative way for the audience to interact with the exhibits.”

They so far worked with many of the top museums in Vienna such as the Belvedere and MAK – The Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art as well as many international venues. For the Albertina Museum in Vienna they also created digital content for the exhibition “Film Stills” and integrated AR experiences to the permanent collection “Monet to Picasso”

Artivive has worked with many of the top museums in Vienna such as the Belvedere and MAK
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One of the examples in which this has already changed the gallery-visitor’s experience is that instead of the enormous and outdated audio guides upon which galleries have traditionally relied – and which many still cling on to – visitors can now navigate multi-sensory personalized experiences on their own mobile devices.

The fact that in such a short time Artivive boosts a turnover of over €150,000 also shows the monetizing potential for the technology, as does the fact that main platforms are making deliberate moves to supporting the sector. At Google I/O this year one of the most popular demos I went to showcased how ARCore could be used to augment both 2D and 3D artworks.

Artivive has accrued over 60,000 downloads, with users spending a collective 1.3 million minutes engaging with art via the app
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Bridging the Physical and Digital

“Art is at the very top of the luxury pyramid,” says Sebastian Cwilich, co-founder of Artsy, an online platform started in 2012 for learning about and collecting art, which recently launched an AR feature that allows users to  virtually “hang” works from their nearly one million artwork database onto their own walls. In helping buyers visualize the pieces in context they are overcoming one of the key challenges of buying art online—not being able to see the work in person.

Digital natives relate differently to the art market, since technology allows you to source your materials from a practically endless database unrestricted by geographical borders.

This year’s Hiscox Online Art Trade Report revealed that online art market broaden buyer’s interest in cross-collecting, and art buyers are generally turning channel neutral, with mobile commerce gaining traction.

Blockchain-powered platform called Maecenas matches art owners with investors, increasing transparency and reducing costs. Crucially, it democratizes the process by allowing smaller investors to buy a fractional share in pieces valued at $1 million or more.

Digital natives relate differently to the art market
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Whatever combination of technologies proves most disruptive to the entrenched practices of art production and marketing, the art business needs to find ways of engaging the next generation of buyers
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Magnus, the app that bills itself as the “Shazam for art” adds to this transparency-led empowerment by letting users snap a picture of any artwork and instantly find out information such as title, artist name, price and exhibition history. Founded in April 2016 by German entrepreneur Magnus Resch and managed to attract investment from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, but it has also faced serious issues as many galleries accused it of essentially stealing their data under false pretenses. This protectionism and grey areas around image usage rights perhaps explains the somewhat slower progress of art-based tech in relation to other creative industries.

The bottom line is that whatever combination of technologies proves most disruptive to the entrenched practices of art production and marketing, the art business needs to find ways of engaging the next generation of buyers. And these are people who must be reached in their own turf – which is bound to be predominantly digital rather than analog.

This article was originally published on Forbes

Augmented Reality Will Reinvent How We Experience Arthttps://t.co/hoKCxQUpNw

— Forbes Tech News (@ForbesTech) June 20, 2018

For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies such as VR/AR/MR/XR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance and support on how best to incorporate these into your brand strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Experiencing Art With Augmented Reality appeared first on Tech Trends.

Teradata’s Art of Analytics project is helping people make an emotional connection with the datasets that rule their world.

In her day-to-day work, Yasmeen Ahmad tackles immensely complex datasets, deploying an arsenal of approaches and methodologies that would sound intimidating to most lay people.

Not many people are able to make sense from complex datasets
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From predictive modelling to text analytics, time series analysis to development of attribution strategies, few people can easily wrap their heads around what such terms mean, and even fewer are capable of drawing actionable insights from them – which is why data scientists such as herself are always in such high demand.

Ahmad worked in the life sciences industry before pivoting to commercial work, where she is now Director of Think Big Analytics, the consulting branch of IT service management company Teradata.

Visualisation is a core component of any data science and analytical project
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The best way help people see the meaning of datasets is to paint them a picture
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Over many years helping clients across a variety of industries to make sense of their data, however, she realised that the best way help them see meaning in those datasets was to literally paint them a picture.

“Visualisation is a core component of any data science and analytical project,” she explains. “It is almost always used at the beginning to understand the datasets you are working with, and can help to quickly identify anomalies, outliers and strong correlations in the data.”

As far as data is concerned, she says, a picture really is worth a thousand words, as visualisation helps to add meaning on top of data that is much easier to assimilate for humans than descriptive words or single numbers and values alone.

Visualisation helps to add meaning on top of data that is much easier to assimilate
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The visualisations supported storytelling around a project
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Her team would therefore routinely include such visuals when they presented their key results to clients, and found that even people who might not be well versed in data science or technology could still connect with them. The visualisations supported storytelling around a project, engaging business stakeholders to understand connections, relationships and associations in the data.

“As more investment goes into data platforms and analytical technologies, the artwork helps to provide a face to this investment. We had business leaders commenting on how beautiful the visualisations were. Colour, shape and layout were all dimensions that were used to convey meaning. The choice of how a visualisation was formed is actually a creative process – like creating a piece of art.”

From there, she explains, it was a short leap to the idea behind the Art of Analytics project, which brings together a range of those visualisation pieces from their previous projects.

Art of Analytics brings together a range of visualisation from previous projects.
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Ahmad believes one of the main strengths of the project is its ability to bring data to life for lay audiences, creating a connection between data insights and observers and bridging the technical gap.

“The visualisations push the human to look beyond individual numbers and values, to thinking about data as a series of connections to be explored. They make it particularly easy to see associations, connections, pathways etc. The art is providing form to the complex fields of big data and data science – making them accessible to a wider audience.

Visualisations push the human to think about data as a series of connections to be explored
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Yet the usefulness of data visualisation is not limited to non-technical people. According to Ahmad, it is also a key component of a data scientist’s toolkit:

“During my life sciences research – I was working in a field where everything was abstracted. The data I analysed often came from human cell samples that could only be seen under microscopes. Hence, collecting data about these samples, analysing it to create insight and then relating the insight back to reality was somewhat difficult. Visualisation was key to help portray not only the insights, but also how they linked to human cells and biology in general.”

Art of Analytics was also an opportunity for Ahmad to bring together those creative and scientific sides. Data science, she says, is actually a highly creative discipline that combines technical know-how with lateral thinking and the ability to tease out stories from complex datasets.

Art and science need to come together to solve the world’s most complex problems
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Data science is actually a highly creative discipline
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“I believe that art and science need to come together to help to solve the world’s most complex problems, and the best data scientists are not only great at statistics, maths and analytical subjects, but are also creative problem solvers who can translate their work into meaningful messaging that connects with their business and commercial audiences.”

This is an on-going project, and there are plans to create new data representations as they work with new datasets they haven’t encountered before.

The emotional connection that people establish with the work highlights the power of data
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Ahmad is also keen to explore how other media such as animation, video and perhaps even VR could help add other dimensions to that work. By creating a video, she says, it would be possible to create another level of emotional connection with audiences, by representing how those relationships have evolved over time.

“We have had senior executives request copies of the Art of Analytics to hang in their office. The emotional connection that people can establish with the work highlights the power of data.”

This article was originally published on The Next Web

Art exhibit shows off the beauty of data https://t.co/Mq8uOvFCGH

— TNW Contributors (@TNWcontributors) November 20, 2017

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post Big Data is Beautiful appeared first on Tech Trends.

This Microsoft artistic collaboration blends the real and virtual worlds and blurs the line between human and machines

Transformation Mask is an experiential sculpture piece that brings art and technology together as it morphs from bird mask to human-merged-with-machine. It the result of a collaboration between Canadian artist Shawn Hunt and Microsoft Vancouver’s in-house maker space, The Garage. It Leverages electronics and mechanical engineering in a physical transformation, before beginning an immersive holographic experience for the viewer with the HoloLens.

This Microsoft artistic collaboration blends the real and virtual worlds
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But while the project is certainly interesting enough from a technical perspective – the way it blends 3D-printed and robotics elements with HoloLens mixed reality holograms via Bluetooth is sure to get anybody with a penchant for geeky tinkering very excited – what makes it truly ground-breaking is the way it uses those technologies to explore aesthetics, identity, and artistic expression in new ways.

Transformation Mask is an experiential sculpture that merges art and tech
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Shawn Hunt is a successful Vancouver-based artist who – like many people in British Columbia – is of mixed descent, combining Scottish, French and indigenous Heiltsuk heritage. Rather than seeing that conflict of identities as a problem, however, Hunt has always leveraged it as a part of his art:

“I have never felt like I really belonged to any one particular movement, culture, category, or clique. As an artist this has given me an incredible amount of freedom. I don’t feel that my work is conceptual, traditional, artefact or craft. It is neither ancient nor modern. Instead, I feel as though my work has elements of all of these categories. This is a freedom that allows me to distort, subvert, hijack and remix these categories in order to offer new points of view. I want to challenge the viewers’ preconceptions. I like the idea of art being like a catalyst, or a flash point. I think art is most powerful when it poses questions, not when it gives the viewer the answers. My goal is to make the viewer think.”

So it made perfect sense for him to take this subversion and remixing to the next step by incorporating cutting-edge technologies in his work. That led him to accept Microsoft’s invitation to essentially come and play with all the shiny toys in their impressive Vancouver HQ. Hunt and his team of artists then collaborated with a host of designers and engineers to explore how Robotics, 3D-Printing and Mixed Reality could help tell traditional stories in a new and powerful way.

The raven in Heiltsuk mythology is seen as the ultimate trickster and that fluid identity seemed like a perfect idea to explore using Mixed Reality
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The raven in Heiltsuk mythology is seen as the “ultimate trickster” and that fluid identity seemed like a perfect idea to explore using those tools. The interactive installation they came up with features a bird mask in a traditional indigenous design which gradually morphs into a cyborg through a mixture of physical robotics mechanisms and virtual Mixed Reality elements. As the experience unfolds, the mask appropriates the traditional aspects of metamorphosis with the transformation from bird mask to human, yet in this adaptation the human mask has been altered, upgraded, and merged with the machine. Incorporating aspects of technology, sound and space, each part of the work reflects Hunt’s interest in how we understand and identify with the term indigenous.

“This work presents a new trajectory for engagement and exploration of First Nations practice; one that points towards technology and innovation as aspects that expand traditional practices and opens new avenues for interpretation,” says Hunt.

The process started with the production of a paper prototype of the mask, and the team also employed a variety of traditional methods, from initial hand drawn sketches to a full size foam core mock up. These were then replicated into a digital prototype mounted on an aluminium skeleton for hinge measurements. True to traditional form, there are no straight lines on the raven (a concept diametrically opposed to polygonal hard surface 3D modelling) and complex compound curves were lofted to generate the primary beak and head surfaces while procedurally generated hex patterns filled the voids for the raven’s eyes and nostrils.

The process started with the production of a paper prototype of the mask, and the team also employed a variety of traditional methods
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At every step, the structures were digitally recreated and animated to avoid complications in the hardware build phase. Overall, the mask required nearly 300 hours of 3D-printing time. The model was digitally sliced into over 20 sections to meet printer specifications, with components assembled on open beam aluminium rails with interlocking elements between the printed pieces. The finished mask was made up of over 20 individually 3D-Printed components and measured over a meter.

At every step, the structures were digitally recreated and animated to avoid complications in the hardware build phase
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The mask’s behaviour was achieved through an array of electronics, sensors, processors and mechanical elements. An ultrasonic range finder detects the presence of an attendee and automatically triggers the experience. Three linear actuators attached to an aluminium skeleton drive the primary phases of motion. Several microcontrollers work in unison to control individual addressable LEDs and behaviour states for the raven’s eyes projected through Windows phones. The mask transforms with the help of three linear servos driven by two microcontrollers, and communicates with itself and the outside world through electromagnetic and optical signals.

The mask’s behaviour was achieved through an array of electronics, sensors, processors and mechanical elements
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The 3D drawings were enhanced with purpose-built skeletal systems to create organic animation
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Modified LED strips line the inside of the mask triggering the hardware and software cues throughout the various stages of the experience. The HoloLens impressive computing power orchestrates all these elements, synchronizing the software and hardware over a Bluetooth connection.The holographic experience, where the animated volumetric drawings appear in concert with particle simulations and spatial sounds, was sequenced and rendered in real time using Unity3D. To design it, Shawn started by familiarizing himself with a range of technologies. Drawings that started as volumetric digital sculptures in Tilt Brush were later refined using 2D digital inking to perfect the traditional lines and forms Hunt intended to express. The 3D drawings were further enhanced with purpose-built skeletal systems to create organic animation. Sound was also a key part of the experience, with custom sound design being implemented first, inspiring the timing and intensities for visuals rather than adding it at the end. The result is a powerfully synchronized audio-visual-mechanical experience.

Modified LED strips line the inside of the mask triggering the hardware and software cues throughout the various stages of the experience
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“Art comes in many forms, can easily transcend cultures and utilize technology to become something new. Life is all about these infinite possibilities and combinations,” says Andy Klein, HoloLens Mixed Reality Designer.

And that’s precisely what makes the Transformation Mask such an interesting use case for HoloLens and Mixed Reality Technology: Rather than separating artistic and technical functions, these were very closely blended throughout the conceptual, design and execution phases of the project. Just as the traditional indigenous masks blurred the line between human and animal, reality and myth, technology brings together human and machine, the physical and the virtual. It is clear that if we are to create compelling, engaging and inspiring content that also resonates culturally with audiences, that’s an approach that content makers would do well to learn from and adopt.

Rather than separating artistic and technical functions, these were blended throughout the conceptual, design and execution phases of the project
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How 3D-Printing, Robotics and Mixed Reality created this Transformers-style HoloLens art piece https://t.co/pdPrt3jD5Z

— TNW Contributors (@TNWcontributors) July 18, 2017

This article was originally published on The Next Web

For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies such as VR/AR/MR/XR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance and support on how best to incorporate these into your brand strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedInand follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Transforming Art with Mixed Reality appeared first on Tech Trends.

A London bar is using AR technology to infuse its new cocktail menu with a shot of artistic imagery.

MIRAGE is billed as the world’s first drinkable tech menu. It was 18 months in the making and involved the development of a purpose-built Augmented Reality app created by Mustard Designs which was unveiled at Jason Atherton’s City Social Michelin-starred restaurant and bar this month.

#miragecocktails is billed as the world's first drinkable tech menu
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“Once the app is pointed in the direction of the drink, the augmented reality technology comes into play, transforming the guest’s perception of the cocktail and bringing their surroundings to vivid life,” explains Atherton

Inspired by an eclectic range of artists from Banksy to Van Gogh, the idea is to turn each of the 12 serves on offer into an interactive art experience. The menu was put together by Jamie Jones and Tim Laferla, well-known names in the trendy bar scene. The carefully designed recipes deploy a varied selection of techniques and flavour profiles and use premium spirits from companies like Pernod Ricard, Diageo, William Chase and G’Vine.

Cocktail recipes are inspired by different artists, from Banksy to Van Gogh
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Dogstone Brew takes its inspiration from the Victorian era, blending Hendrick’s Gin, port, bergamot, black tea split milk and orchid root to create a clarified milk punch cocktail with floral notes and a long finish. The accompanying AR imagery then complement that theme with some floating Victoriana-style balloons that look rather Monty Python-esque.

Sashay is a nod to the iconic Art Nouveau posters of the late 1800 and early 1900s, featuring a woman reclining in a chaise longue to go with the heady blend of Perrier Jouët Belle Époque Champagne, Japanese plum wine, jasmine and liquorice.

Sashay is a nod to the iconic Art Nouveau posters of the late 1800s
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Impressionism fans might want to sample the Van Gogh-themed Wheatfields with Fizz: a mix of Ketel One Vodka, elderflower, bee pollen, lager and egg white to be experienced alongside the master’s paintings ‘Starry Night’, ‘Wheatfields with Crows’ and ‘View of Arles’.

Impressionism fans might want to sample the Van Gogh-themed Wheatfields with Fizz:
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Located on the 24^th floor of Tower 42 – one of the iconic City of London skyscrapers –City Social was opened in 2014, and the restaurant headed by chef Paul Walsh was awarded a Michelin star in 2015.

“Jamie and I want our drinks to be amongst the world’s best and we hope this will really put us on the map,” says Atherton. “We are treating our approach to drinks across the group as seriously as we do our food to ensure quality and creativity shine through.”

#miragecocktails is another example of how brands are exploring Augmented Reality to create immersive, multi-sensory experiences for their users. For those looking for guidance on how to do this, Tech Trends also offers Virtual Reality consultancy services.

#miragecocktails is another example of how brands are exploring Augmented Reality to create immersive, multi-sensory experiences
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For companies looking to gain a competitive edge through technology, Tech Trends offers strategic Virtual Reality and Digital Transformation Consultancy services tailored to your brand.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Drinking Up Augmented Reality appeared first on Tech Trends.