Second Glance Art knows no limits: For an exhibition, a series of images is given a new virtual dimension with Cinema 4D that can only be seen through the camera of a smart device!

Images, whether photos or paintings, are always snapshots of a particular moment. The moments before and after this snapshot can only be shown using film. The goal of the artist group Achter April (8th of April) is to use new technologies to break the binds of still images. To this end they used an augmented reality layer to bestow a temporal dimension to images from graphic artist Carolin Jörg.

The idea was the brainchild of Michael Fragstein, who is an avid digital illustrator and often sketches is projects using this medium. During one of his presentations he got to know artist Carolin Jörg and soon the idea for this project was born: graphics inked on white paper to which, when viewed through the camera of a tablet device, a virtual animated element is added that continues the image's dynamic. Together with texts from Marie-Alice Schultz and sounds from Marc Fragstein, Second Glance is an outstanding example of what can be created with the help of augmented reality.

The animations on the modified Artificial Reality layer were created by Michael using Cinema 4D and X-Particles. He paid particular attention to correctly simulate the images' dynamics and the flow of ink.

"With Cinema 4D and X-Particles, smoke, fluids and wind can be simulated, which in turn makes it possible to add extra content to the illustrations for the viewer. This makes it easier to interpret the piece or find clues to its origin," says Michael.

The fact that these images were created by Carolin Jörg especially for this exhibition opens new possibilities for Michael's animations for each and every image. Michael and Carolin worked very close together: while creating the images, Carolin thought about how the animations would look and Michael developed these inspirations further in the realization of his animations. This also involved bringing the ideas into Cinema 4D where he found ways to realize each individual animation. In 3 months, a total of ten different videos for ten of Carolin's works were created. Content created in Cinema 4D was converted to an augmented reality layer in Mataio.

Second Glance premiered at the International Trickfilm-Festival (animation festival) in Stuttgart, Germany, where it was shown in the Galerie Ebene0 and enthusiastically received by the public. Second Glance was then exhibited in the Horst-Janssen Museum in Oldenburg, Germany and the Kusthalle in Hamburg. Second Glance can be visited from June 23 to October 7 in the city gallery of Offenburg, Germany.

Work in Progress Videos:
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3

Michael Fragstein's Vimeo page:
www.vimeo.com/fragstein

8ter April Website:
www.8apr.de/

Carolin Jörg's Website:
www.carolin-joerg.com/