As many of Tokyo's museums and art galleries are temporarily closed due to the recent outbreak of Covid-19 coronavirus, you'll be glad to know there's a new way to experience art. American artist Kaws has teamed up with the augmented reality masterminds at Acute Art to bring his signature character Companion to the streets of Tokyo as well as 11 other places around the globe.
No stranger to Japan, Kaws took over the Fumotoppara Camping Grounds at the base of Mt Fuji last summer where he featured a 40m-long site-specific installation of Companion against the backdrop of Japan's iconic mountain. This time around, the new augmented reality art project, titled 'Expanded Holiday', sees 12 larger-than-life AR sculptures of Companion inserted into iconic places around the world, including Tokyo's Shibuya Scramble crossing, outside the Louvre in Paris, the middle of New York's Times Square, and more.
Photo: Kaila Imada
To experience the virtual art for yourself, simply download the free Acute Art app on your phone before heading to one of the 12 designated locations. From there, launch the app and follow the location arrow to find Companion floating in mid-air. Once you've tracked down Companion, you can take photos through the app and share them on social media.
If you're not at any of the 12 locations, don't worry. You can purchase your own AR Companion (starting from USD6.99) through the free app, which gives you the ability to project Companion into any scene for a limited number of days. For serious collectors, Acute Art is also selling 25 limited-edition permanent AR sculptures for a whopping USD10,000 each. (Last time we looked, they were all sold out, so don't empty your bank account just yet.)
Kaws Companion 'Expanded Holiday' can be seen at Shibuya Crossing and the other designated worldwide locations from now until March 26.
To see more art on the streets of Tokyo, check out our guide to Tokyo graffiti and street art. You can also get the best views of the Shibuya Crossing from these locations.