In 2016, Artist John Craig Freeman captured an immersive portrait of Wuhan’s Wet Market where COVID-19 is believed to have originated.
The mesmerizing art installation is now available for everyone to experience in AR on www.allworld.io the Augmented Reality platform for the arts. Augmented Reality allows users to walk through a life-size section of the famous market using their iOS device here: https://www.allworld.io/9khiJsCvpXJ9NmNM1dYi
Freeman traveled to the city of Wuhan in the Hubei District of Central China in 2016, as part of the U.S. State Department’s cultural diplomacy program, Zero1 American Arts Incubator. Wet Market, Wuhan is part of an extensive body of work, which documents the rapidly changing city and sheds light on the complex and nuanced historical culture it holds.
Today Wuhan has become a household name as the epi-center of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now thanks to technology and Freeman’s unique work, audiences will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the historic area.
The artist explained that his work focuses on capturing a singular moment in time and does not wish to participate in the current political accusations of Wuhan as the target of public health failings. Freeman believes that “using this ancient city and its local customs as a political cudgel does nothing to solve the problem caused by the threat of global pandemic. Only science can solve these issues”.
Wet Market, Wuhan presents an incredible portrait of a location that has captured the world’s attention and become an integral part of our culture. The artwork’s historical relevance and technological representation in a nascent medium make it an important contemporary artwork that signals a new way for the future of art.
To capture the desired vision, the artist used a process called photogrammetry that stitches together thousands of individual images into one single three-dimensional file. The resulting portrait explores the boundaries between realistic portraiture and expressionist representation.
Three editions of the Augmented Reality artwork will be available for sale to institutions or collectors for $30,000 each.