Vibrações do Ignoto – AR Museum Exhibit
Reviving lost treasures from the Museu Nacional fire with augmented reality technology.
Role: Lead Animator and 3D Modeler
In this partnership with artist and sculptor Rodrigo Andreolli and Fernando Gregório I had the honor of being responsible for modeling and animating key historical artifacts that were once exhibited at the Museu Nacional, until it was consumed by a terrible fire in 2018.
Large Metal sculptures were customized with hand-painted figures, each representing one artifact lost in the fire. These served as trackers to activate the augmented reality experiences that mixed audio, poetry, and 3D animations to immerse the user in the meaning and history of each of them.
Challenge
Size and memory constraints are always a big challenge when creating mobile XR experiences and for this project, it was especially challenging as each sculpture would have to depict 3D scanned restorations, as well as animations.
I baked all textures, optimized all 3D scans, and reused simple materials for all animations, creating a dreamlike neon environment. The contrast between the realistic objects and neon worlds allowed the focus to be retained on the actual artifacts – with the animations of giant snakes, floating lakes and Egyptian sunrises serving as a narrative backdrop.
This required constant communications with the developer Atchareeya Jattuporn, who would implement the models into the interactive experience.
Launch
The exhibit had two launches, one in the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) and the Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR), two of the most important art museums of the city. It was accompanied with music and artistic performances that celebrated rebirth from the fire.
This project was deeply personal to me, having grown up surrounded by the Museu Nacional’s wonders. Plus, many of my fellow History of Science, Techniques, and Epistemology (HCTE/UFRJ) grads were on the frontline of the recovery effort. But we’re not just rebuilding; we’re turning tragedy into triumph, paving the way for a brighter future in Brazilian arts and science