The Met teams up with Verizon for AR art experience


New York’s The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), the largest art museum in the US, has teamed up with Verizon to open its doors to art lovers virtually.

The Met Unframed, developed in partnership with production studio Unit9, is a virtual art and gaming experience powered by Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband. The experience, which runs for five weeks, enables online visitors to explore digital galleries and play games to unlock augmented reality (AR) versions of the art that can be displayed virtually inside their own homes.

“The Met Unframed brings the Museum to audiences wherever they are in an innovative viewing experience, in which users can virtually visit iconic spaces and engage with The Met’s masterpieces, learn more about the works in a playful way and through AR, and enjoy bringing the art into one’s own surroundings,” said Max Hollein, Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “The Met Unframed expands the ways in which we can understand, experience, and appreciate art.”

It features more than a dozen digitally rendered galleries and almost 50 works of art from across The Met’s collection. Virtual visitors can enjoy works from the likes of Vincent Van Gogh, Jackson Pollock, Carmen Herrera, Rembrandt van Rijn, El Anatsui, Mark Bradford, Margareta Haverman, and others.

“The Met Unframed enhances digital inclusivity for an audience that may have never experienced art in such a personal way,” said Andrew McKechnie, Chief Creative Officer at Verizon. “We’re utilizing the power of technology and enhancements enabled by Verizon 5G, to provide extensive access, in-depth education, and opportunities for interactivity and sharing, for beloved works of art from one of the world’s most renowned museums.”

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