Project Summary – Support – Exhibitions – AR & VR – Painting
PROJECT SUMMARY
Portraying endangered species in New York state and beyond, the Sunken Garden is an interdisciplinary art project integrating painting and emerging technology to reflect upon our relationship with nature.
The project questions the dominating role that humans have become accustomed to play in a ‘garden’ – the space assumed to be a refuge but often emblematic of cultural and political intricacies, which is undoubtedly emulated by artworks depicting gardens in mainstream visual traditions. As biodiversity has been gravely threatened by human activities today, it is pertinent to rethink our place in nature, to reassess the implications of cultural attitude towards nature. Through research on folk arts and decorative arts around the globe as well as comparable culture studies revolving around ‘gardens,’ we may be able to draw inspirations from marginal cultures such as indigenous communities or forgotten traditions; and through the journey rediscovering cultural diversity, we seek to preserve and restore biodiversity.
Digital technology may offer powerful tools for both research and visualization along this journey, which may also raise the question about the role of technology and related inquisitiveness has played in altering the natural world. The meaningful utilization of digital technologies, in this case, virtual reality and augmented reality, is another aspect of Sunken Garden, through which we intend to inspire.
Sunken Gardens project receives support from New York Foundation on the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts and New York Queens Art Fund.
EXHIBITION I
Miller Gallery, Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning, NY
November 21, 2019 to January 25, 2020
EXHIBITION II
“Renaissance 2.02.0,” Museum of San Salvatore in Lauro
Rome, Italy, October 20-31, 2020. Read PRESS RELEASE here.
click thumbnails below for bigger images (photography credits: https://roma.repubblica.it)
EXHIBITION III
Art Gallery @ SIGGRAPH ASIA Computer Garaphics & Interactive Techniques
Conference and Exhibition, South Korea, December 3-14, 2020
The Sunken Garden Augmented Reality
Instruction on viewing Augmented Reality (AR) components on the paintings: Install free app Artivive 
that can be found in smartphone’s App Store, open Artivive, aim your phone camera at the painting, enjoy AR animations that bring the paintings to live!
Viewing mobile phone augmented reality based on Sunken Garden painting
Image courtesy of ©Lily Honglei Art Studio
Screenshot 1. The Sunken Garden, transplanting oil paintings to virtual reality platform
Image courtesy of ©Lily Honglei Art Studio
Screenshot 2. The Sunken Garden, transplanting oil paintings to virtual reality platform
Image courtesy of ©Lily Honglei Art Studio
Screenshot 3. The Sunken Garden, transplanting oil paintings to virtual reality platform
Image courtesy of ©Lily Honglei Art Studio
Screenshot 4. The Sunken Garden, transplanting oil paintings to virtual reality platform
Image courtesy of ©Lily Honglei Art Studio
The Sunken Garden Paintings on Canvas
LILY HONGLEI ART STUDIO © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
LILY HONGLEI ART STUDIO © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Year of Production: 2020 © Lily Honglei Art Studio
Year of Production: 2020 © Lily Honglei Art Studio
Year of Production: 1989-2019 © Lily Honglei Art Studio
Year of Production: 2019 © Lily Honglei Art Studio
Year of Production: 2019 © Lily Honglei Art Studio
Project Summary – Support – Exhibitions – AR & VR – Painting