Murals have been around for thousands of years. Augmented reality, to listen to tech companies, is the future. Now, artists Joshua Mays and King Britt are planning to merge the two right here in Philadelphia.
Mays and Britt, in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia, are going to create the city’s first “augmented reality mural,” along with students from Haverford School and West Philly’s Mastery Shoemaker Charter School.
- MORE CULTURE
- The 114-year-old Fiorella’s Sausage store in Italian Market is up for sale
- The end of an era: Electric Factory bought by AEG, starts rebrand
- Trolley Car Station diner up and running at 40th Street trolley stop
The mural, which will be located at 5300 Lansdowne Avenue, will be called “Dreams, Diaspora, and Destiny,” and it will be more than just paint on a wall: according to a release from the program, the mural will integrate “image recognition” and an “experimental Afro-futuristic” original score, featuring community interviews and sounds created by the students.
And, in the truest sense of augmented reality, Philadelphians will also apparently be able to use a free smartphone app to interact with the mural.
Mays is based in Oakland, although he previously lived in Philadelphia for eight years. Britt is a Philadelphia native and a 2007 Pew Fellow, and he has experience working with Philly’s Fringe Arts, was the first resident DJ at Silk City on Spring Garden.
Philadelphia artist Eric Okdeh, who’s worked with the Mural Arts program for decades, helped Mays and Britt with you know, the actual mural painting.
The official dedication ceremony will take place Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 4:00 p.m.
Follow Adam & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @adamwhermann | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Add Adam's RSS feed to your feed reader
Have a news tip? Let us know.