Art and design students experimenting with AR tools (Greece)

A first evaluation of AR platforms took place in different courses of Art & Design AKTO college. In a peer learning situation, students analyzed the use of Vidinoti V – Director in an Art History course, and they tried out AR Media Player and Jig Space for the use in a course on interactive media. Other students checked the platforms Awe, BlippAR, Onirix and UniteAR in order to find the most suitable one for hosting a digital animated installation and make it accessible through WebAR. UniteAR finally met the project’s requirements, and it turned out to have especially user-friendly functions. The objective of the analysis was for students to get comfortable with creative thinking, to experiment with new media and especially with AR apps. The team designed an AR interactive animated installation which was exhibited in the Back to Athens 8 art show 2021. Street artist Soteur contributed by painting, with his unique drawing style, the 3D model materials, and 3D Artist & Digital Designer Michalis Tzetzias designed the installation experience as well as the model. The final installation was placed and photographed in various Athens spaces, demonstrating its adaptability in terms of size, interactivity and immersion in relation with surroundings.