<ar id="unity arkit ar museumStudies" date="november2020"/>

The most well-known fresco of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, The Creation of Adam is a fascinating example of mediation, mass reproduction and decontextualization of a ubiquitously famous artwork.

Production

In the Production mode, the user is invited to explore the space around the fresco. To the left and right of the center of the AR Origin, there is text overlaid that tells the story of how the Creation of Adam (and the entire ceiling of the Sistine Chapel) ended up looking the way we know them today. If the user physically rotates their device, they can also see the entire ceiling of the Chapel. As an exciting addition, they can tap anywhere to animate the artwork and make it “snap” into its space on the ceiling, providing them with a clue of where it is located in the space that is abundant with rich visuals.

Mediation

The entire Mediation mode is overlaid with an ambient museum sound which provides a nice background to learn about how the Vatican directed and controlled mediation of the Creation of Adam. Other than some supporting text that is once again on the left and right, in the center of the view, there is a video that gives a glimpse of several pages on the museum’s website. The user can see a 3D model of the entire Sistine chapel, visitor information, and social media contacts that were included into the original website, providing them with an inside of curatorial choices that went into website code.

Consumption

The Consumption mode is a dedication to pop culture that the Creation of Adam bolstered over the years, making it one of the most recognizable and reproduced artworks in the history of art. In this part of the experience, the user can look around to see a variety of re-imaginings of the original artwork. A broad range of examples is included to demonstrate the diverse presense of The Creation of Adam in modern art and culture.