Immersive art company Meow Wolf has partnered with Niantic Spatial, the makers of Pokémon Go, to expand the Meow Wolf universe via augmented reality (AR).
The two companies are working together to bring the world of Meow Wolf beyond the walls of its physical exhibitions and into everyday environments.
“This partnership with Niantic Spatial can open portals to an entirely new layer of imagination,” said Vince Kadlubek, Meow Wolf’s co-founder and chief vision officer.
“The world becomes a canvas for creative expression – a scavenger hunt for physical and digital art.”
The project is still in development, but the goal is to prototype an experience where users can engage with Meow Wolf content in city streets, parks and public spaces.
Possible features being explored include AR portals to reveal digital art experiences, quests and scavenger hunts to unlock exclusive in-exhibition content, and community world-building.
Niantic Spatial is a spin-off of software development company Niantic‘s geospatial AI unit. It uses technology created for games like Pokémon Go, which was recently sold to Scopely for $3.5 billion.
“The world becomes a canvas for creative expression”
Thomas Gewecke, president and chief operating officer at Niantic Spatial, said: “Meow Wolf’s narrative universe is unlike anything else – layered, nonlinear, and emotionally resonant.
“It’s a perfect match for geospatial AR, where your surroundings become part of the story.”
The project will launch with a closed beta activation later this year at Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station in Denver.
This first phase of the partnership will test ways to connect the real world with Meow Wolf’s in-exhibition storytelling.
If it’s successful, the project could evolve into a multiplayer platform where users can explore art, uncover storylines, solve spatial challenges and contribute to a shared universe.
Earlier this year, Meow Wolf announced that its seventh permanent exhibition will be located in New York City.
Images courtesy of Meow Wolf and Niantic Spatial
