We worked with acclaimed conceptual artist Mel Chin to flood Times Square via a site-specific mixed reality experience. Chin has a long history of creating thought-provoking public artworks that address social issues. This past year, he worked with Microsoft to tackle climate change, challenging guests to imagine what the world would look like if global warming goes unchecked. By Chin’s own admission, the only way to bring his vision to life was “through something called mixed reality.” Microsoft worked closely with Chin to develop Unmoored, a public art installation that “flooded” Times Square in summer 2018, as part of a larger retrospective presented by the Queens Museum. Chin wanted to raise awareness around global warming, and force guests to question their own impact on the planet.

We worked with acclaimed conceptual artist Mel Chin to flood New York's Times Square via a site-specific mixed reality experience. Unmoored explores a potential future where global warming has gone rampant; where thanks to melting ice caps, erosion, and coastal flooding, NYC is entirely underwater. In this future, Times Square is 26 feet under water; now boats and ships float above, bumping into each other in a nautical traffic jam. Guests explore this submerged version of Times Square using the Microsoft HoloLens, or in augmented reality via a mobile app custom built for the experience. Microsoft’s MR technology empowered Chin’s storytelling around climate change, allowing him to explore his artistic vision in a new, dynamic way. To Chin, the question is always more important than the answer. He aimed to present the possible outcomes of climate change, pressing audiences to ask themselves, “What if?” And “What now?”

To target our desired audience, we welcomed tourists, conceptual art fans, and scientists to our mixed reality experience strategically placed in one of the most trafficked public spaces in the world. The HoloLens pop-up was in place for just 3 days; up to 6 people were in the experience at a time, with the experience running 10am-8pm. The activation and visual content focused on weaving a narrative that appealed to our Gen Z tech-forward target, especially those with an interest in Environmental Causes, Climate Issues, and Education/Technology. It’s not the answer, but the question that is important to Chin. And so we sought to make some of the hundreds of thousands of Times Square visitors question the direction our country — and world — is heading in. We sought to make them question their responsibility, their stewardship, and their impact on the planet.

Unmoored launched in Times Square on July 11, 2018, and ran through Labor Day, 2018. Hundreds of boats appear 26 feet overhead (the level of NYC flooding predicted by climate scientists), creating a nautical traffic jam not dissimilar to Manhattan’s current rush-hour traffic. This flotilla includes ships of all types and sizes, named for scientists, activists, and academic papers that have contributed to the study of climate change. The boats slowly make their way around existing buildings and landmarks, occasionally bumping into each other and buildings, causing undulations of wave-like action and sending amplified underwater sound effects to audiences below. The HoloLens pop-up was in place for just 3 days; up to 6 people were in the 8-minute experience at a time, with the experience running 10am-8pm. Visitors could download the AR app and explore a flooded Times Square July 11-September 3, 2018.

The activation took place adjacent to Chin’s Wake installation, and comprised of a 8-foot shipping cube, open on two sides. The opening towards Wake had a ~20-foot-deep interaction space extending out towards the installation for an unobstructed view of Wake and Unmoored with the HoloLens. The experience included two docents tasked with fitting and guiding users through the experience, while two additional docents remained at the kiosk to answer questions.

The AR app required the use of markers on the plaza floor to help align the physical location of a participant with the virtual world of Unmoored. Participants stood in the prescribed locations, and pointed their phones at the Wake installation. They were then instructed to align an image of Wake with the camera image of Wake on their phone. Once this alignment was complete, participants were free to roam the plaza and view Unmoored and Wake from all angles.

Over the course of the activation, 4.9 million visitors were exposed to Unmoored. Press pick-up was global across 60+ publications, with accolades pouring in across arts, tech, and culture outlets including the New York Times, Fast Company, CBS, and more. We generated incredible reach with more than 7 billion impressions and 2 million video views. UN Secretary General António Guterres said of the installation, “Art is a form to express our strong commitment to the most noble causes of humankind. This is a fantastic piece that is a strong appeal for climate action against climate change.”