An exhibition of contemporary artworks created with augmented reality (AR) technology will premiere at the Eden Project in September 2021

The exhibition, named Seeing the Invisible, at Eden will be one of 12 participating gardens across six countries.

Visitors will engage with Seeing the Invisible via an app designed for the exhibition downloadable to smartphones and tablets.

The exhibition has been described as "Forging new links between botanical gardens located in diverse biomes around the globe, the exhibition fosters collaboration between institutions, artists, and audiences, highlighting the power of art to connect people around the world."

Seeing the Invisible features works by more than a dozen international artists such as Ai Weiwei, Refik Anadol, El Anatsui, Isaac Julien CBE, Mohammed Kazem, Sigalit Landau, Sarah Meyohas, Pamela Rosenkranz, and Timur Si-Qin—including several artists’ first work in AR.

The first exhibition of its kind to be developed as a collaboration among botanical gardens around the world, Seeing the Invisible was initiated by the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens and Outset Contemporary Art Fund, and is co-curated by Hadas Maor and Tal Michael Haring.

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Seeing the Invisible will simultaneously premiere at botanical gardens around the world, including the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Israel and Scotland and will place the same exhibition of commissioned artworks in analogous sites in 12 outdoor garden settings located in different biomes all around the world, creating parallels and contrasts between them.

For example, the same work might be set within a group of tall Saguaro cacti in Tucson and among a lush forest of giant redwoods in Edinburgh.

Many of the works created for the exhibition will address related themes around nature, environment, sustainability, and explore the interplay of the physical world with the digital one.

David Harland, Interim Chief Executive of the Eden Project, said: "As a cultural destination set within a regenerated, natural landscape, the idea of immersing digital installations within that environment will be a thrill for our visitors and, indeed, us as hosts.

"To experience extraordinary digital works that enable us to view the natural world around them though a new lens will reach hearts and minds, as well as informing and educating simultaneously.

"It is a great privilege to host artworks by world-renowned artists in collaboration with a global network of partner gardens – allowing us all to demonstrate the power of working together for the benefit of all living things."

Seeing the Invisible Co-Curator Hadas Maor said: "This exhibition allows artists who have not previously worked in AR to expand on ideas that are central to their practice in entirely new ways.

"In doing so, the exhibition engages a wide range of visitors with contemporary artworks, including a number that address critical issues around the environment, through this exciting new medium."

Seeing the Invisible Co-Curator Tal Michael Haring, said: "Coming out of the pandemic when outdoor experiences and nature have taken on a new meaning and gravity in our lives, this exhibition represents a fresh way for people to engage with art and nature simultaneously.

"The interplay of these augmented reality works in vibrant natural settings breaks down the binary between what is often considered ‘natural’ versus ‘digital’, and in this way provides an exhibition experience that is much more connected to the way we live today."

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Seeing the Invisible will be accessible via smartphone and tablet through the Seeing the Invisible app, which will be available for iPhone and Android in the App Store and Google Play.

This project has been made possible in partnership with The Jerusalem Foundation. Seeing the Invisible is co-curated by Hadas Maor and Tal Michael Haring, and organized by Jerusalem Botanical Gardens and Outset Contemporary Art Fund.

Venues showcasing the exhibit will be:

• Denver Botanic Gardens (Denver, Colorado, USA)

• Eden Project (Cornwall, England)

• Jerusalem Botanical Gardens (Jerusalem, Israel)

• Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (Cape Town, South Africa)

• Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (Sarasota, Florida, USA)

• Massachusetts Horticultural Society (Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA)

• Royal Botanical Gardens (Ontario, Canada)

• Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (Edinburgh, Scotland)

• Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Cranbourne Gardens (Cranbourne, Australia)

• Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens (Melbourne, Australia)

• San Diego Botanic Garden (San Diego, California, USA)

• Tucson Botanical Gardens (Tucson, Arizona, USA)

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Seeing the Invisible will feature AR works by the following artists:

• Ai Weiwei (b. 1957, Beijing, China; lives and works in Berlin Tempelhof Airport, Germany)

• Refik Anadol (b. 1985, Istanbul, Turkey; lives and works in Los Angeles, USA)

• El Anatsui (b. 1944, Anyako, Ghana; lives and works in Nigeria)

• Ori Gersht (b. 1967, Tel Aviv, Israel; lives and works in London, UK)

• Isaac Julien CBE (b.1960, London, UK; lives and works in London, UK)

• Mohammed Kazem (b. 1969, Dubai, UAE; lives and works in Dubai, UAE)

• Sigalit Landau (b. 1969, Jerusalem, Israel; lives and works in Tel Aviv, Israel)

• Daito Manabe (b. 1976, Tokyo, Japan; lives and works in Tokyo, Japan)

• Sarah Meyohas (b. 1991, New York City, USA; lives and works in New York City, USA)

• Mel O’Callaghan (b. 1975, Sydney, Australia; lives and works in Paris, France)

• Pamela Rosenkranz (b. 1979, Switzerland; lives and works in Zurich, Switzerland)

• Timur Si-Qin (b. 1984; lives and works in New York City, USA)

• Jakob Kudsk Steensen (b. 1987, Denmark; lives and works in Berlin, Germany)

For additional information and to book entry for the exhibition at the Eden Project, please visit: www.edenproject.com or www.seeingtheinvisible.art.com

Further details will be announced in the coming weeks.