For Finnish graphic artist Seela Petra, public art means action for collective well-being. Through art, stories about changes in nature, wild youth, child's play, love, and ageing become alive.
Seela Petra's artwork One Day is a collection of characters and scenes inspired by the Tapiola area in Espoo, Finland. The piece was created in 2019 as a part of Tapiola's new bicycle parking at the AINOA shopping centre, collaborating with Espoo Museum of Modern Art EMMA. Now, the artwork comes alive with augmented reality.
| Client | Espoo Museum of Modern Art EMMA |
| Character Design | Seela Petra |
| AR Production | Arilyn |
The AR experience makes three of Seela Petra's characters alive: city bunny Tapio, swift Aino, and balcony gardener Heikki. The three characters tell stories about life in Espoo and are voiced by local culture people - Vuokko Hovatta, Stuba Nikula, and Allu and Jussi from the band Ursus Factory.
The characters came alive at an event in the shopping centre AINOA on the 29th of August, 2020. The event was organised as part of Espoo Day, an annual celebration for Espoo city.
The artwork transforms into alive characters with the Arilyn app: by scanning the characters with the app, the bunny, the swift, and the balcony gardener start to tell their stories through a smartphone.
One Day is Seela Petra's first public piece. With EMMA's passion for spatial art, a public wall piece enhanced with augmented reality is a fantastic way to tell a story and create immersive experiences.
The artwork centres itself on encounters: the youth enjoying their time with the elderly, a bear chatting with tulips, a lady rushing into a cultural adventure.
The AR experience is available from the 29th of August, 2020, at the Merituulentori bicycle parking at the AINOA shopping centre.
