Nadine Mustafa The worlds of art and technology collide at the Pyramids of Giza as Meta unveils the storytelling potential of AR technologies.
Meta is partnering with Art D’Egypte for the second edition of Forever is Now (October 27 – November 30, 2022), an art exhibition taking place at the Pyramids of Giza, to release bespoke Augmented Reality (AR) filters exclusively available on Instagram. The partnership is part of Meta’s XR Programs and Research Fund, a two-year investment in global programs and external research into building the metaverse responsibly.
Reflecting the theme of the event, which merges ancient heritage and contemporary art; Meta will bring together art, culture and technology through AR filters that will help visitors not only navigate the exhibition but also the stories behind some of its most iconic works of art.
The guide will be accessible through a set of 13 AR filters via Instagram on smartphones and will come with a visual guide, which will illustrate the backstory of each piece and showcase its creation through work-in-progress images, while also providing biographies of the artists.
“The Forever is Now is a visual treat steeped in artistic brilliance. This is where our community will discover new favourites, find new sources of inspirations and spark conversations,” said Fares Akkad, Regional Director, MENA – Meta.
“Our collaboration with Forever is Now is part of our ongoing effort with industry partners, governments, non-profits and academic institutions to determine how to build our future-facing technologies responsibly, and support creators who have been pushing the boundaries of digital storytelling using immersive technologies. Through the AR capabilities we are introducing at the exhibition, we want to merge ancient cultural and artistic heritage with immersive technologies to elevate our communities’ experience on site and online”.
“We are very excited for this partnership and to be one of the first art exhibitions showcased on the Metaverse with AR filters on Instagram in the Middle East, as Culturvator/ Art D’Egypte is always keen to be a pioneer.” Said Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, Founder of Culturvator – Art D’Egypte.
The Forever is Now collaboration is Meta’s first XR investment not only in Egypt, but also in the Middle East and North Africa, which is geared towards blending digital overlays onto the physical world by creating interactive, creative and immersive content around an experience.
It follows the investment of the XR Programs and Research fund in the African continent to spearhead the “Amplifying African Voices” program, spotlighting creators who have been bringing together digital storytelling and immersive technology. As a part of this effort, Meta is running training programs, bootcamps and hackathons to support African talent building innovative solutions. You can read more about Meta’s global XR investments here.
