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As part of its multi-year LACMA x Snapchat: Monumental Perspectives initiative, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and Snap released the third and final collection of augmented reality monuments designed to highlight the diverse histories and perspectives of communities around LA. These monuments follow eight that were released in two previous collections.
Each new AR monument was created by a different artist—Victoria Fu, Yassi Mazandi, Rashaad Newsome, Rubén Ortiz Torres and Alison Saar—and has a unique theme. For instance, Fu’s monument was inspired by the Los Angeles Chinese massacre of 1871, which saw a mob attack Chinese residents in the city’s old Chinatown.
The artists worked in consultation with community leaders and historians, as well as Snap Lens creators, to build their monument lenses.
These AR monument lenses are designed to be viewed through the Snapchat camera while visiting various locations around L.A.:
- Los Angeles State Historic Park (Fu)
- LACMA (Mazandi)
- Exposition Park (Newsome)
- Lincoln Park (Ortiz Torres)
- Santa Monica Beach (Saar)
People around the world can also view the monuments by searching in Snapchat’s Lens Explorer and by scanning QR codes on LACMA’s website.
“This project showcases how artists and AR creators can come together to use augmented reality in innovative and impactful ways,” said Bobby Murphy, co-founder and CTO at Snap. “We’re proud to continue this work with LACMA and highlight some of the histories of Los Angeles communities through the power of AR.”
The LACMA x Snapchat: Monumental Perspectives initiative kicked off in December 2020, with the first set of AR monuments being released in April 2021, followed by the second set in April 2022.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, a supporter of the arts and humanities in the U.S., is the backer of LACMA’s role in this initiative as part of The Monuments Project, which is “a five-year, $250 million commitment to transform the way our country’s histories are told in public spaces.”
“We are thrilled to once again partner with Snap and the Mellon Foundation in empowering artists and technologists to realize new community touchstones through the virtual space,” said Michael Govan, director and CEO of LACMA.