A few months ago, I was introduced to Helen Papagiannis, an artist, designer and researcher working with the emerging technology Augmented Reality (AR), wrote Rob Rothfarb in Museum Virtual Worlds Jan. 10 in a published interview with the student in the York/Ryerson Joint Graduate Program in Communication & Culture:
Papagiannis: “I began experimenting with AR in September 2005. When I saw AR for the first time, I was so entranced I think I entered a permanent state of wonder with the technology. And it was all very simple: a bare bones 3D virtual cube seemingly appearing in my physical space. It was completely astonishing! I went into mad scientist mode from there, tinkering, prototyping and dreaming of the creative possibilities for AR. Five-and-a-half years later, and I’m still riveted.
“I strongly believe AR is emerging as a new medium and it will come to play a large role in entertainment and information sharing…. I’d like to see more work move beyond the single-viewer experience in AR and engage larger audiences in a simultaneous viewing and even collaborative interactive experience. I think this is particularly relevant for museums in designing and producing AR experiences.”
Helen Papagiannis is currently completing her PhD at York University and is a senior research associate at the Augmented Reality Lab in York’s Department of Film in the Faculty of Fine Arts. Helen’s mixed-reality art installations were recently featured in a solo exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre, and at TEDxYorku, where she was also an invited speaker. Prior to her augmented life, Helen was a member of the internationally renowned Bruce Mau Design studio, where she was project lead on Massive Change: The Future of Global Design, a touring exhibition and book published by Phaidon Press.
Wired also published an excerpt of the interview, Jan. 18. You can watch Papagiannis' TedxYorku presentation on youtube.
Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile– York University’s daily e-bulletin