Urban AR Mural

The Spirit of Electricity: when art meets technology

One of the largest paintings in the world, Raoul Dufy’s The Spirit of Electricity (La Fée Eléctricité) is back from restoration in the richly renewed detail, now enhanced with augmented reality.

THE MASTERPIECE

Displayed in the heart of the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris, the painting covers an area of 600 square meters and weighs 10 metric tons. Raoul Dufy was commissioned to paint the monumental composition for the International Exposition in Paris in 1937. This year, the painting underwent a dust-down and was restored to its vivid, colorful glory. Now museum visitors can enjoy Dufy’s work that tells a tale of technological advancements through history, merging arts and sciences.

THE GOAL

MAM’s scientific and cultural project aims to enhance and bring a new perspective to the museum’s collection through technology. As of October 2021, visitors are offered (free of charge) two systems for exploring the work – in augmented reality and online. A new immersive experience of The Spirit of Electricity will cater for visitors of all ages and provide a real insight into Dufy work’s scientific and social implications.

THE SOLUTION

AR app: The Spirit of Electricity on-site app

Using a tablet available free of charge, museum visitors could choose between the three routes: artistic, scientific, and created for families. Each immersive experience lasts from 10 to 15 minutes and invites to discover: – The history of the work, from its context of creation to the different elements of its composition through 10 major themes central to the production and understanding of the work. – The discovery of electricity and 22 of the 108 scientists represented in the work, who had greatly contributed to the history of electricity and science through their discoveries. – A fun family experience to meet the scientists and discover their inventions featured across Dufy’s masterpiece. A dedicated website features: – 360° tour of The Spirit of Electricity: your chance to discover every last detail hidden in the work. – Access to the complete biographies of the 108 experts, descriptions of their inventions, and artistic and technical explanations. – A system of filters allowing you to personalize your experience of the work.

Interesting facts:
  • The colossal effort of restoration involved scaffolding and drones to carry out precise photographic documentation of all 250 panels
  • The 10-meter tall mural reads like a musical score and blends together mythology, nature and history
THE AR APP DEVELOPER

The immersive experiences that complement The Spirit of Electricity masterpiece and provide an unusual way to discover the history of electricity in augmented reality were created by close collaboration with several XR experts and multimedia agency.

THE AR TECHNOLOGY

This AR feature is used to detect, track and digitally augment 2D images – ideal for augmenting customized image targets, magazines, books, user manuals, packaging, catalogs, coasters, gaming cards, and more.

Why Wikitude ?

Using the 3D model-based object tracking feature, we managed to map the whole room by simply using a photogrammetric process where we took high-resolution pictures of each surface. Wikitude processed the entire thing, and voilà. Our end users can enjoy instant stable tracking once they enter the room without the need to scan a specific area. This has allowed us to focus on the content and the narrative to create a great experience. Combined with competitive pricing, we can definitely recommend Wikitude!
Alexandre Soteras XR Engineer Inside Learning