Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 2.26
Captured (for Hrant)
by Tamiko Thiel (
2011a
). Augmented Reality. The viewer is
surrounded by the animated footsteps of murdered Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink. Seen
here against the exhibition architecture done by Ryue Nishizawa for the Istanbul Biennale
PATTU (Cem Kozar and Isıl Ünal) created
Invisible Istanbul: Urban Dynamics
as
an augmented reality walking tour that departs from the Istanbul Biennale site in the
Tophane neighborhood and winds through the nearby neighborhoods of Karaköy
and Galata. Using their deep knowledge of both the city's past and the official
development plans for the future, PATTU has used AR as a medium to map and
visualize the dynamics of change that shape both the contemporary urban space and
the lives of its inhabitants. The smartphone or iPad becomes a viewing instrument
to bring into focus forces invisible to the naked or unknowing eye, and make them
visible in the public sphere.
For each site or “node” along the route PATTU looked at the past, present and
future uses of the area. The AR artworks at each site envelope the viewer in a cloud
of artifacts that reference the activities for which each area was, is and will be used.
This layer of symbolic information is visible as an overlay on the live camera view
of the buildings and busy streets at each site, but is also complemented by links to
a website with an historic photo of each location and a textual description of the
urban dynamic in play at each site (PATTU
2011
). A small selection of nodes are
described below as examples of the rich layers that can be experienced at each site.
Node 1: The Docks
is in Tophane by the Antrepots used for the Istanbul Museum
of Modern Art and the Biennale. Looking down at the ground one sees cannon
and other munitions, symbolizing the area's previous use as a military barracks and
munitions factory. Looking straight ahead, one sees heavy gold painting frames and
