Year: 2018

Tomás García's "Venus Effect," exhibited in early 2018 and curated by Martín Huberman, is an intriguing foray into the realm of augmented reality (AR) in art. García’s work stands out for its innovative use of technology to enhance and transform the traditional art experience.

The project revolves around a contemporary dancer, whose movements are captured and digitized using motion capture technology. This approach effectively bridges the gap between real and virtual, allowing for a unique interaction between the dancer and her digital reflection.

García employs Unity3D and ARkit to create an immersive AR environment. In "Venus Effect," viewers follow an augmented version of the dancer and her reflection in a mirror. This setup is not just about replicating the dancer’s movements in digital form, but also about creating an interactive narrative that engages the audience in a novel way.

The installation is designed for two viewers at a time, each using an iPad and facing a mirror. This arrangement allows for a personal interaction with the art, as each viewer's experience is shaped by their own perspective and engagement with the AR elements. This aspect of the project challenges the traditional single-perspective approach in art, offering a more dynamic and individualized experience.

The Venus effect is a phenomenon in the psychology of perception, named after various paintings of Venus gazing into a mirror, such as Diego Velázquez's Rokeby Venus, Titian's Venus with a Mirror, and Veronese's Venus with a Mirror. Viewers of such paintings assume that Venus is admiring her own reflection in the mirror; however, since the viewer sees her eyes in the mirror, Venus is actually looking at the reflection of the painter.