Bringing the exhibition into your home: RO duo develop augmented reality app for the arts sector

Visiting an art exhibition from one's living room? No more competing for viewing space? ArtLink, an app developed by a Romanian duo, makes that possible. Using augmented reality, it offers users the option to explore artworks and art events anywhere, anytime. Among them is Art Factory, a contemporary art festival presenting an AR edition in the app.

In 2018, Bogdan Topîrceanu, one half of the team behind ArtLink, was working on Art Factory, a contemporary art festival he founded which aims to revive abandoned industrial venues. He was facing a dilemma: the festival had a 75 sqm hall available but more good artists running in the open call than they could host. The same year, at a hackathon organized by Fine Acts, one of the largest NGOs in Bulgaria, he met Dragoș Silion. They were on different teams and worked on different projects, but after the event, Topîrceanu contacted Silion, having seen his work on an AR app and wanting to see if they could work together. They could, and the two are now working to explore the potential of AR in the arts sector.