The American street artist KAWS stages yet another exciting exhibition of his famed sculpture ‘Companion’ in collaboration with Acute Art. Unlike last year when ‘Companion’ appeared on the waters of different places around the world as a giant inflatable sculpture, it greets us in the form of AR sculptures. By downloading the Acute Art app on your phone, you can take photos with the monumental sculpture at 12 different locations around the world. Two editions of the AR sculpture are available- open edition and collectible edition. The open edition has appeared simultaneously in major cities such as Hong Kong, Taipei and New York where you can view them free of charge. The collectible edition can be purchased on the app for those who want to bring the sculpture anywhere.
Taipei｜National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Hong Kong｜Observation Wheel
Paris｜The Louvre
For most of us who are not familiar with AR this might sound slightly complicated. We have simplified the process for you. First, download the Acute Art app here before heading out to view the sculpture.
The open edition allows everyone to see the sculpture at the places listed below where the exhibition named ‘Companion (Expanded)’ is held. Simply open the app on your phone and the ‘AR Companion’ will appear.
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Hong Kong｜Observation Wheel
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Taipei｜National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
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Tokyo｜Shibuya Crossing
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Seoul｜Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
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London｜Millennium Bridge
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Paris｜The Louvre
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New York｜Times Square
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New York｜Brooklyn Museum
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Sau Paolo｜Ibirapuera Park
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Melbourne｜National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
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Doha｜MIA Park (Museum of Islamic Art)
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Serengeti｜Serengeti National Park (Tanzania)
Tokyo｜Shibuya Crossing
Serengeti｜Serengeti National Park (Tanzania)
As for the collectible edition, you can pay for your ‘Companion’ on the app and enjoy its company anywhere like your bedroom, your grandma’s kitchen, a public toilet, your university lecture hall or even on the street.
The collectible ‘AR Companion’ comes in three different colours- grey, black and brown. By paying US$6.99 (HK$55.9), you can choose one out of the three colours and keep ‘Companion’ for 7 days. By paying US$29.99 (HK$229), you can own it in all three colours for 30 days.
Hong Kong singer G.E.M
Korean actor Jung Hae-in
Taiwanese Singer JJ Lin
Dior creative director Kim Jones and model Karlie Kloss
AllRightsReserved founder Sk Lam
Another version of the augmented reality sculpture is the deluxe edition with no time restrictions which sold out within a day of its release. These sculptures are priced at US$10,000 (HK$78,000) each and come in 30 editions- 5 reserved as the artist's proof and 25 can be purchased by the general public. If you couldn’t get your hands on the deluxe version, you might still be able to find it on the secondary market on the app. However, the sculpture’s price will be decided by the seller and both parties must pay a commission of 15% each (30% in total).
Many celebrities, including Dior creative director Kim Jones, AllRightsReserved founder Sk Lam, Korean actor Jung Hae-in, boy band BTS, Hong Kong singer G.E.M and Singaporean Singer JJ Lin, have showcased their collectible edition ‘Companion’. You can take a look at their pictures to see what having your own ‘Companion’ sculpture looks like.