Squint/Opera, the creative studio, has worked with artist Dustin Yellin on his new interactive artwork, alongside the National Wildlife Federation, Droga5, Q Department, Mach1 and Vrai Pictures.
Procession is an AR artwork that takes the viewer to a not-so-distant future where climate change has wreaked havoc, and is set to debut at this year’s Tribeca Festival. Through the app, anyone in the world can place a Dustin Yellin sculpture near them and then explore it.
Inspiring action on climate change
Procession is a fine-art AR project based on a realised sculpture. It brings together animation, collage and archive footage to create an interactive soundscape, exploring the challenges that climate change will bring in the near future.
“My goal has always been to democratize art and create a living, breathing canvas that can be affected by every participant who touches it. Procession presents our near future, a period of global unrest and environmental destruction, spurred by raging floodwaters and massive wildfires,” says Yellin.
By using the app to communicate this message widely, the aim is to spur viewers into taking action and joining the fight to preserve our unique ecosystems.
“The experience of becoming part of Dustin’s art makes it clear that each of us has an impact on our planet and when we choose to take the steps necessary to protect wildlife and the natural world, we will be able to create a more equitable and sustainable planet for everyone,” says Carey Stanton, Head of Innovation Partnerships for the National Wildlife Federation. “We are thrilled to be the wildlife conservation partner for Procession.”
A successful collaboration
Several creative and production partners were involved in the creation of Procession, such as global creative agency Droga5, creative studio Squint/Opera, music studios Q Department and Mach1, and immersive design studio Vrai Pictures.
“We’ve been working on this collaboration for quite some time, and it’s a pleasure to see the
work of Dustin, Droga5 and our partners finally realized in such a pure, impactful way,” says Justin Durazzo, Director of Innovation at Droga5.
“We’re really excited to deliver this interactive art piece in our rapidly evolving tech and climate landscape and hope everyone—regardless of their age, beliefs or background—will relate to it.”
“The partnership was driven by our desire to make this world more intricate and immersive, more fun and educational,” adds Director of Technology at Squint/Opera, Elie Zananiri.
“Technology allowed us to add animation and special effects, social interactions and gaming achievements to create a brand new artwork that truly leverages the medium it is made with. We are very proud of this collaboration and how the AR experience turned out.”
Procession is available on Apple iOS and Android and can be downloaded here.
Earlier this year, Squint/Opera worked on a range of immersive media as part of the transformation of Skydeck Chicago at Willis Tower, the highest observation deck in the US.
