MuseumsQuartier Wien as an interactive work of art
In line with the "This is the sound of Austria" initiative, the smartphone app Artivive is transforming MuseumsQuartier Wien into an impressive augmented reality experience. When visitors point their mobiles at any of the eight participating cultural institutions or the main courtyard, they experience an audio-visual show, musically curated by Andreas Vierziger from the archives of the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, the KUG – University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Mozarteum University Salzburg and the TONSPUR Kunstverein Wien collection, animated by Artivive. The first experience from the "This is the sound of Austria" series is a joint venture by the Austrian National Tourist Office and MuseumsQuartier Wien.
The world is constantly changing, as are art and culture. Growing competition to attract visitors and technological changes are just two of the challenges that cultural institutions face. This is why it is important to motivate players from the most different sectors to recharge cultural spaces and invite guests from around the world to discover these via innovative technologies.
"To experience MuseumsQuartier in its full variety and with all facets and senses – that is what we would like to convey to our visitors. "This is the sound of Austria" makes this a reality. Alongside the visual impressions of the institutions, app users dive into a soundscape of different styles of music, which are linked to the individual organisations. An experience for all senses!" says MQ Director Christian Strasser.
"This is the sound of Austria" aims to transform public spaces across the country into audio-visual experiences. After the kick-off at MuseumsQuartier Wien, other locations will follow.
"The MuseumsQuartier with its 4.5 million annual visitors has long been on the agenda of any Vienna visit. It is a place that inspires; where locals and guests come together and exchange views, where ideas are born and carried into the world. In one word, a living space, which can now be discovered through various musical animations and that makes you want to see more. That is why the MuseumsQuartier was the ideal starting point for our "This is the sound of Austria" initiative", explains Petra Stolba, Managing Director of the Austrian National Tourist Office.
See the MuseumsQuartier from a different perspective
As of now, a unique augmented reality experience awaits visitors in the main courtyard of MuseumsQuartier Wien. In order to access the digital content, visitors simply have to download the free Artivive app to their smartphone or tablet and point it at one of the eight participating cultural institutions’ posters (Architekturzentrum Wien, Dschungel Wien, Halle E+G, Kunsthalle Wien, Leopold Museum, mumok, Tanzquartier Wien, ZOOM Kindermuseum). The app overlays the camera image in real time and short clips give you insights into the different institutions.
The musical accompaniment is tailored to the individual animation and location. Each institution is linked to a specific composition, from classical to contemporary music and electroacoustic installations. The contributions were taken from the archives of the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, the KUG – University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Mozarteum University Salzburg and the TONSPUR Kunstverein Wien collection (Artistic Director Georg Weckwerth). They were compiled by Andreas Vierziger.
"Austria is shaped by countless musical institutions that include universities of music of global significance and belong to the elite of new international talent, which is one of the reasons why it is so fantastic to have three of these educational establishments on board and draw from high-quality musical interpretations. The TONSPUR Kunstverein Wien is an equally valuable partner that has been making exciting musical works by international artists publically available in the TONSPUR_passage – Micro Museum for Sound of the MuseumsQuartier since 2003", says curator Andreas Vierziger.
The augmented reality experience aims to animate locals and tourists to visit the individual institutions and (re)discover their cultural arena. The app thus includes information on the MQ institutions, their collections and programmes. Visitors can also use the app to share impressions on social media, of course, encouraging their contacts to visit Austria and the MuseumsQuartier Wien.
The smartphone app Artivive which is used for this project is an augmented reality platform that was founded in 2017 by Sergiu Ardelean and Codin Popescu in Vienna. "With this tool we aim to open a new artistic dimension, giving artists and museums the opportunity to combine analogue and digital art. There is a broad spectrum of fields in which it can be applied", explain Artivive founders Ardelean and Popescu. The free Artivive app is available for iOS and Android. Find further information at artivive.com.
About the music curator Andreas Vierziger:
Andreas Vierziger works as a curator and strategic consultant within the music industry. He cooperates internationally with festivals, concert organisers, orchestras, record labels, educational establishments and other institutions. International project partners from around 20 countries include the Grafenegg Festival, David Lynch’s Silencio Club in Paris, the Budapest Spring Festival and Vivienne Westwood for Milan Fashion Week.
He has been invited to speak at numerous internationally renowned universities including the Tokyo University of the Arts, the Helsinki Sibelius Academy, the Royal Academy of Music Copenhagen, Zurich University of the Arts and the Sorbonne in Paris.
Andreas has been a jury member for more than 20 international music competitions such as Austria’s International Johannes Brahms Competition, the Fulbright Concerto Competition USA and the Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition Poland.
Please find further information at www.mqw.at.
Media contacts:
Press MQ: Mag. Irene Preißler
Tel. [+43] (0)1 / 523 58 81 - 1712
Email: ipreissler@mqw.at
Press Austrian National Tourist Office:
Mag. Claudia Riebler
Tel. [+43] (0)1 / 588 66 - 299
Email: claudia.riebler@austria.info
High-res images are available to download here.