John Craig Freeman and Arthur Clay

This text emerged from a conversation between Arthur Clay and John Craig Freeman during a recent interview discussing the conservation of early augmented reality (AR) artworks. Freeman, who collaborated with Clay for years during the Digital Art Weeks and Virtuale festivals, founded and directed by Clay from 2005 to 2015, reflects on the broader historical and cultural context of AR art. Readers can expect an insightful exploration of how the advent of augmented reality and mobile technologies disrupted traditional power dynamics in the art world, democratized access to exhibition spaces, and redefined the role of institutions in shaping public discourse.

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The public square, once the epicenter of communal life, has undergone a dramatic evolution since the 1990s. Initially, we witnessed the migration of public discourse from physical town squares and print media to the placeless realm of the Internet—a virtual space that was everywhere yet nowhere. However, the emergence of place-based virtual and augmented reality has brought about a fascinating convergence, reuniting digital interaction with physical space while maintaining the distributed nature of networks.

Border Memorial: Frontera de los Muertos, John Craig Freeman, augmented reality public art, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona, 2012 (photo courtesy of the artist).

In 2010, this convergence took concrete form when a group of pioneering artists staged a groundbreaking, uninvited augmented reality intervention at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This intervention led to the formation of Manifest.AR, an international artists’ collective founded by Mark Skwarek, John Craig Freeman, Sander Veenhof, Tamiko Thiel, Will Pappenheimer, Geoffrey Alan Rhodes, and Lily & Honglei.

This new frontier of mobile, location-based public art has fundamentally transformed how art inhabits public space. Traditional gatekeepers—curators and civic authorities—no longer control art placement. Instead, artists themselves can now position their works anywhere in the world, unrestricted by physical boundaries or institutional approval. This democratization of public art placement has profound implications for both artistic expression and public discourse.

The result is a dynamic fusion where virtual and physical realms intersect, creating a public sphere that seamlessly integrates the vast resources of digital networks with tangible, location-specific experiences. This hybrid space offers new possibilities for demonstrating solidarity, celebrating shared values, and exploring differences—all while maintaining connection to physical place.

School Shooting eMorial, John Craig Freeman, augmented reality public art, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC, 2013 (screenshot courtesy of the artist).

In 2010, Manifest.AR was critically examining a fundamental shift in the power dynamics between artists and institutions. Their work posed essential questions about who controls public space and artistic expression in the digital age. The collective was particularly focused on how augmented reality was disrupting traditional institutional gatekeeping in several key ways:

Access to Exhibition Space: While museums and galleries traditionally controlled which artists could display work and where, augmented reality allowed artists to place virtual works in or around institutional spaces without permission. This raised questions about the very nature of institutional authority over public and private space.

Curatorial Control: Rather than waiting for curatorial approval or institutional validation, artists could now self-curate and place their work wherever they felt it belonged. This shift challenged the traditional role of curators as arbiters of artistic merit and cultural significance.

Institutional Boundaries: Manifest.AR’s work questioned where institutional space begins and ends in an augmented world. If virtual art can be viewed within museum walls without being physically present, what does this mean for the institution’s traditional role as a container and controller of art?

These explorations were particularly relevant at a time when institutions were just beginning to grapple with how digital technologies might transform their traditional roles. Manifest.AR’s interventions weren’t just about displaying art in new ways—they were actively challenging and reimagining the relationship between artists, institutions, and public space.

Virtual Saint Petersburg and Virtual Wuhan, John Craig Freeman, augmented reality public art, in association with The Augmented Landscape exhibition, curated by George Fifield, Boston Cyberarts, Salem, MA, 2017 (screenshots courtesy of the artist).

The evolution of augmented reality art has reshaped public space and artistic expression, making the preservation of its early works essential. These foundational pieces are more than technological experiments; they are cultural artifacts that challenged institutional norms and redefined public engagement.

Preservation must go beyond technical updates, ensuring the original context, geolocation data, and social significance are retained. Migration to modern platforms should extend their reach without compromising their integrity, while contextual materials can help future audiences understand their groundbreaking nature.

Safeguarding this legacy is both a technical and cultural imperative, ensuring that AR art continues to inspire and influence future generations.