An extraordinary exhibition is coming to the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, Johannesburg.
Seeing the Invisible is an augmented reality (AR) exhibition that features the work of more than a dozen artists from around the world. Their works, “placed” in the garden for optimal impact, may only be viewed through the Seeing the Invisible app for tablets and smartphones.
Seeing the Invisible will be officially opened on Wednesday 19 October 2022 at 2pm. The app should be downloaded before visiting the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden as digital connectivity in the garden is intermittent.
“It is tremendously exciting to welcome Seeing the Invisible to the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden,” says South African National Biodiversity Institute CEO Shonisani Munzhedzi.
Seeing the Invisible features works by globally acclaimed AR artists, including Ai Weiwei, Refik Anadol, El Anatsui, Isaac Julien, Mohammed Kazem, Sigalit Landau, Sarah Meyohas, Pamela Rosenkranz and Timur Si-Qin.
“The Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden joins 10 botanical gardens around the world to premier these augmented reality artworks in the second season of Seeing the Invisible. The exhibition aligns the garden to others around the world that are investing in enriching their visitor experience. It is also making these jaw-dropping pieces accessible to the people of Gauteng,” says Munzhedzi.
Other than at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, the exhibition will also be staged at gardens in Australia, Singapore, the UK, Israel, the US, Greece and Canada.
The AR nature of the artworks means visitors enjoy expansive, immersive works that engage with the natural landscape. AR artworks go way beyond what is possible with traditional, physical materials and mediums, for example by including incredible digital animation. Many of the AR works address natural and environmental themes, exploring the relationship between the physical and digital worlds. It’s a fresh way for people to engage with art and nature.
As part of Seeing the Invisible worldwide, the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK, has developed an educational programme for children, educators and families. This programme is available at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden and online.
The Seeing the Invisible app is available from the App Store and Google Play respectively.