Smithsonian features Google Glass in stunning American flag exhibit
It’s President’s Day Weekend and at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, the Nation’s capital, they’re celebrating by featuring a stunning Google Glass exhibit starring the American Flag.
The exhibit, created by David Datuna and titled “Portrait of America“, overlays hundreds of eye glasses on an American Flag. Visitors are invited to “try on Glass and experience the artist’s interactive, multi-discipline work of art.”
From a distance, you see a beautiful, sparkling American Flag:
Beautiful indeed. Pardon my patriotism – maybe I’m overly inspired by these 2014 Olympic Games – but I absolutely love the American flag as a work of art. And boy does this exhibit do it justice.
But what if you put on Google Glass and move a little closer?
Those lenses aren’t overlaying the American flag without reason: behind them sits a collage of American icons throughout history, from the greatest of cultural influences to some of today’s pop cultural misfits:
Many of the embedded images find parallels in adjacent galleries within the National Portrait Gallery, including disparate historical and contemporary figures such as George Washington, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., even Lady Gaga. Each resonates, in different ways, with a multi-cultural American audience. Poignant moments revealed within the flag recall generations of innovators who often dared to be different— figures like Nicholas Tesla, Steve Jobs, Michael Jackson, Lucille Ball and dozens more.
So where does Google Glass fit in? Aside from being a lens focused exhibit that allows visitors to take a closer look at American culture and history, they can also get a closer look at Google Glass while becoming a participant and contributor to the exhibit itself.
Visitors are invited to take pictures with Glass (Okay, Glass… this exhibit is awesome!) which are filtered into a “Glassfeed” on Datuna’s website. Here are some samples since the exhibit has gone live:
^ Prescription Glass not included. I was initially hoping for some augmented reality where details on each person in the collage would overlay with Google Glass, but hey, maybe next year?
UPDATE: But wait, it’s so much more:
When viewed with Google Glass, images from American culture are revealed. Images in the artwork, along with the viewer’s own voice, will trigger videos and interactive experiences that can be seen through the viewfinder of Glass. (via Google Glass DC on Meetups.com)
What a great way for all ages to celebrate America’s history on this President’s Day Weekend while creatively tying in an innovative product from what has become one of America’s greatest companies.
If you’re interested in visiting, the exhibit is free to the public from February 15th to 17th, 11:30AM to 7:00PM. More details here.