Seeing Picasso Augmented Reality App
Using AR to reveal the invisible influences behind modern art.
Overview
Pace Gallery in Palo Alto hosted a survey of Picasso's work, but even a gallery this prestigious couldn't display every influence that shaped his career. We created Seeing Picasso, an AR experience that used the iPad as a "magic lens." By identifying the physical paintings on the wall, the app summoned virtual artworks to float beside them—allowing visitors to compare a masterpiece directly with the sketches and inspirations that created it.
Partners
Line Break studio
Services
App Design & Development
The Details
Traditional audio guides isolate visitors in headphones. We wanted to keep their eyes on the art. The app overlaid related works—like African masks or early sketches—directly into the physical space, creating a visual dialogue between the object and its history. Narrated by Stanford art historian Alexander Nemerov, the experience turned the gallery into a living timeline, proving that digital layers can deepen, rather than distract from, the physical world.
Note: Due to copyright restrictions, artwork in these portfolio images has been obscured.
