We are pleased to premier “Ascension,” a breathtaking location-based augmented reality (AR) art installation that presents imagery by Richard Humann and produced by Seol Park to premier during the 2017 Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy.

The constellations that we recognize today are based on a 2,000-year-old mythology of the ancient Greeks. Their heroes, villains, mortals, and gods ascended into the sky for all eternity. In "Ascension," Humann draws inspirations from the seminal work of comparative mythology, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell and presents twelve new constellations that tell the myths and legends not of the ancient Greeks but of our own -- the heroes and villains of the past century. These new AR stars are suspended across the expanse of the sky over the magical city of Venice.

The narrative begins with the two-headed dogs of war, “The Great Wars,” that represent the two wars, WWI and WWII of the first half of the 20th Century that shaped so much of what was to come. The world at war then gives way to the era of the “Shining Suburb on the Hill,” which is the America of post 1945. We see the rise of “The Blue Moon King,” represented in the form of a black and white bear that is Elvis Presley. Then comes “The Gentle Beast” which is a whale-car hybrid spouting oil that opened up the vastness of America while making it smaller and more accessible to all at the same time. The bunny rabbit, dressed in royal attire, is “The Tragic Queen” who is actually Marilyn Monroe. “The White Knight” stands proudly with his sword by his side, and the nuclear briefcase by his feet. He is John F. Kennedy and is a man of peace who is prepared for battle, but it is during peacetime that he meets his end too soon.

“The Four-Headed Monster” quickly rises from the vacuum left behind by the loss of The White Knight. The monster is an eight-legged creature with four heads that takes over the entire world with its message of love. It is The Beatles, portrayed as a revolver headed octopus, holding flowers. “The Butterfly Bee” is both delicate and deadly. It is graceful and powerful. It is Muhammed Ali. Next is “The Brave Explorer” who was running out of land to explore on this planet and launched himself into space to reach out to the stars, and eventually took giant steps onto the moon. It is all the astronauts, and the space program that allowed mankind to leave this world for the first time and walk among the gods. “The Princess Adored,” or Princess Diana, captured the heart of the world, and is represented by a beautiful rose, on a thorn-less stem with a ladybug at its heart. Then there is “The Silicon Prophet” calmly sitting in the lotus position, with an apple body, and young tree sprouting from its stem. It is Steve Jobs patiently growing an orchard that will bear fruit to millions. And finally there is “The Silver Tower” that was a tower of silver coins, knocked down by a hawk-headed dove. It is The Twin Towers that brings the constellations of “Ascension” into the 21st Century, either full circle to that of the Third Great War, or to a time of peace and prosperity. 

Artist: Richard Humann
Digital Experience Curator: Seol Park
Technology Partner (Jay Van Buren, technology counsel): Membit

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