csl and M+ Museum spread love with AR display of Yayoi Kusama's pumpkin sculptures

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama's iconic pumpkins have taken the city by storm recently. Therefore, csl has partnered with M+ Museum to launch Hong Kong’s first augmented reality (AR) presentation of two large-scale sculptures Pumpkin (2022) by the artist.

The iconic Pumpkin currently on view in the main hall of M+, the Pumpkin (2022) is a highlight at the museum’s special exhibition Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now. Combining art with technology, the virtual presentation of Pumpkin (2022) through AR has broken geographical barriers to offer a new virtual art experience and share love and joy with the local public at five locations across the city.

As the major sponsor of Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now, HKT’s consumer mobile unit CSL combines ground-breaking markerless AR and floor detection with SLAM technology to present a 3D model of the artwork in the real world. Utilising geo-targeting, csl has transformed five popular locations in Hong Kong to where the artist’s works are showcased virtually,  including M+ roof garden, West Kowloon Art Park, Statue Square, The Peak Tower and Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.

Visitors can simply head to the locations, open the csl. 5G lens app and view a virtual pumpkin on their mobile phone. ARKit and ARCore technologies enable users to enjoy a 360-degree view of the artwork with a quote from Kusama to create a special experience. With the photography function of the csl. 5G lens app, users can creatively take photos with the virtual pumpkin, fusing the virtual and reality for greater interaction.

Furthermore, csl is hosting the “csl. 5G Lens x M+ Capture the AR Pumpkin” lucky draw from 12 January to 9 February to encourage the public to experience the new art tech. Users can simply download the csl. 5G lens app and register as a user, head to the designated locations and take a photo with a virtual pumpkin and tap on “Complete” in the app.

Moreover, in promoting greater accessibility of culture in the society, csl will sponsor private viewing tickets for local NGO KELY Support Group to visit Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now. KELY Support Group offers support for Chinese- and English speaking local and ethnic minority youth aged between 14 and 24 around three core focus areas – drug and alcohol awareness, mental health and wellbeing, and positive youth development – to equip them with skills and knowledge to support themselves and one another.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to csl for further information.

Back in November 2021, csl dominated a high traffic space in the city, allowing passers-by to leverage the AR technology to watch a local boyband MIRROR video. Located near department store SOGO at Causeway Bay, the ad was created in collaboration with POAD. Passers-by could use the camera of any compatible 5G mobile handset after downloading and activating the “csl. 5G Lens” to turn the static billboard into an interactive video. 

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