“Who defines it, inherits it, wields it... who rents it, tills it, toils for it... who gets expelled from it?”
—Ruha Benjamin
Hypercity is an Augmented Reality (AR) art exhibition experienced via the Hypercity App developed by SpekWork. An interplay of machines, monsters, medicine, riots and speculative fictions, the artworks are a culmination of a Long Winter residency wherein emerging artists Cassraa, Cheyenne Rain LeGrande ᑭᒥᐊᐧᐣ, Malik McKoy, Vasuki Shanmuganathan and Shonee developed their artistic practice for the digital realm of AR. These projects are in conversation with commissioned works by hiba ali, Casey Koyczan, and Linda Zhang. Gesturing to both the subversiveness and precarity of street art, the AR installations invite participants to intervene and dream in Toronto’s fraught public space. Curated by Mitra.
Upcoming programs
Personalized Talisman Making with Vasuki Shanmuganathan
Thursday January 19, 2023 - 6:30-8PM EST Dufferin Mall, 900 Dufferin St., Toronto Register now!
Warming Tea Packet pick-up by Hiba Ali
January - March 2023 (while quantities last) Xpace Cultural Centre, 303 Lansdowne Ave., Toronto
Learn more
Planting Imagination with Linda Zhang
Sunday March 5, 2-4PM
We invite you to share space at Cecil Community Centre (25 Cecil St.) and co-imagine with artists, Chinatown community and the Cecil Community Centre team. Together, we will eat good food, play mahjong, and have a facilitated conversation with the Centre’s garden committee. Drop-in, registration not required.
1. Cheyenne Rain LeGrande ᑭᒥᐘᐣ, cahkipêhikan têhtahokana
2. Casey Koyczan, Monster ; Mǫǫ̀
3. hiba ali, warming the tones of our heart and spirit
5. Linda Zhang, Planting Imagination
6. Vasuki Shanmuganathan, Pauvuṉ | பவுன்
*Malik McKoy, Cassraa and Linda Zhang’s projects can be viewed from any location.
Visiting Hypercity
To view the exhibition, download the Hypercity App on your smartphone or tablet. The app is available for iPhone and Android devices in the App Store and Google Play.
It is recommended to download the app on a strong wifi connection before visiting the exhibition. Once downloaded, the app will guide you around the exhibition via GPS and prompt you to view each artwork in its location. The Hypercity App requires access to your camera, microphone, and location. Consider bringing headphones as several of the artworks include a soundscape.
On site, please make sure your mobile data is turned on and your phone battery charged. Installations are best experienced between dawn and dusk.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that adds digital elements to a live view. AR is most commonly known through face filters on snapchat and Instagram, as well as games like Pokemon Go.
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Yes. The Hypercity app will work on both Apple and Android devices and will be available for free in the in the App Store and Google Play. We recommend downloading the app ahead of your visit.
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Though some projects have a physical component to them, to experience the full artwork is only viewable by downloading the app on a smartphone or tablet and using the camera.
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its free
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No, we do not collect any user information.