‘Ghost Variations’ Experience by Snapchat, Alexis Zerafa and Sophie Kahn premieres at Lincoln Center
While living in the 21st century comes with the privilege of increased mental health awareness and access to resources supporting us in our everyday lives, it wasn’t always the case. With its new experience, Snapchat aimed to underline the connection between arts and our wellbeing, showcasing the stories of people who made history in music, using art as a way to navigate through their own struggles.
About the experience
Collaborating with Alexis Zerafa (Creative Technologist) and Sophie Kahn (digital artist and sculptor), Snapchat launched an immersive AR experience focusing on the character of Robert Schumann, a 19th-century composer who spent the final years of his life at a psychiatric asylum with the music of J.S. Bach as an aid in navigating his life through illness.
Visitors of the Lincoln Center can interact with and observe a range of 3D sculptures made as portrayals of musicians such as Bach or Schumann and see the music manifested in the sculptures.
by Snapchat
These AR sculptures explore important topics and stories including the relationship between the arts and our mental wellbeing. We’re thrilled to partner with Lincoln Center to bring awareness to this conversation, as well as empower artists and Lens creators to educate people through a new perspective with the help of AR.
– Sophia Dominguez, Director of AR Platform at Snapchat.
Snapchat’s cutting-edge technology
Built with Snap’s custom location AR technology, Ghost Variations uses advanced computer vision for spatial awareness, allowing visitors to view the AR sculptures from any angle.
The installation is further enhanced by audio-reactive waves that respond to microphone input, altering the amplitude of the waves based on the volume and frequency of sounds in the space. This effect is complemented by opacity textures, adding transparency to the sculptures in patterns derived from the waveforms created by Kahn.
Source: SnapchatCore to our mission at Lincoln Center is creating a multiplicity of entry points into the arts, and we are thrilled to be collaborating with Alexis Zerafa and Sophie Kahn on this exciting project.
Through compelling intersections of art and technology, these pioneering artists are diving into deeply human stories—calling forth the experiences of Schumann, Bach, and other artists, and showing in such a meaningful way how we are all so deeply connected
– Shanta Thake, Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
How can you take part?
Visitors can immerse themselves in Ghost Variations by scanning QR codes placed in the Karen and Richard LeFrak Lobby of David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. For those who can’t visit the exhibition in person, the experience is also accessible via Lincoln Center’s website and Snapchat Public Profile or by searching for it in the Lens Explorer within the Snapchat app.
The exhibition at the Lincoln Center premiered on July 20 and is available for visitors until August 10.
