Viral T-Rex Mural Coming to Life

After exploring with several cities how art and technology can transform public spaces, we decided to put the idea into practice. The goal was to create something that would stop people in their tracks and invite them to experience art in a completely new way.

The Flax Art and Supply Store in Oakland became the site of a striking public art intervention. Nychos created a large-scale mural enhanced with augmented reality, using Artivive and working with animator Ambros to bring a T-Rex to life. The result was a completely new kind of urban experience.

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The mural quickly became a hit - drawing over 300,000 views, racking up 70,000 likes, and getting reposted by major Instagram accounts, including the rock legend Slash. Several thousands of visitors came to view the mural coming to life in person. In the weeks that followed, transforming an ordinary parking lot into a buzzing, interactive art space.

By scanning the mural with their devices, visitors were able to see the T-Rex move and roar before their eyes.

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This pilot proved that AR can inject a powerful new dimension into public art. It bridged physical and digital worlds, sparked both in-person and online engagement, and showed that technology can turn everyday spaces into unforgettable, shared cultural experiences.

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Intested in finding out more on AR Murals and how to create them?