Almost a year ago we told you about (Un)seen Sculptures, and Australian augmented reality art exhibit at the Surry Hills Festival featuring 3D models created by 13 artists from across the globe. The digital exhibit returns again this year, presented by dLux MediaArts as part of Sydney Art Month, and is currently seeking submissions from artists.

If you’re not sure what a mobile 3D augmented reality art show is, (Un)seen Sculptures describes itself as “a sculpture walk composed entirely of virtual 3D works that have been ‘placed’ at specific geographic locations.” Using Layar, visitors to the exhibit can view the sculptures (and any accompanying media) with their smartphone.

To submit your 3D digital artwork, you’d better act fast, the deadline is this Saturday, February 25th. Essentially, anything that works on Layar should be accepted, but make sure to keep models below 5,000 polygons and, in general, keep any files to a low size to avoid slow load times.

Submissions should include the following:

• Artist name.
• Title of work.
• Any additional subtitles to be displayed in Layar.
• 200 dpi image of the artwork (for printed promotional purposes).
• An artist statement of short description of the work.
• Link to the artist’s website.
• 3D files of the artwork.
• Any accompanying media files.

Any submissions or questions should be sent to filmcement[at]gmail.com. For full descriptions of requirements and guidelines for submission, see this PDF. We’re looking forward to seeing what makes its way into the show this year!

Last month we were very proud to launch a collaboration between Stiktu and Dutch artist GabyGaby (Gaby Zwaan) at DLD in Germany. Visitors to the conference were able to post their own additions to Gaby’s unique TulipMan artwork with Stiktu. This month, we’re kicking things up another notch with Gaby as he debuts a gallery show of TulipMan in Dubai.

The Dubai opening, “Flower Power 2.0: Featuring MegaTulipMan,” is Gaby’s debut solo exhibition, and Layar is playing a significant role. MegaTulipMan is “a superhero character who circles the globe on his mission to save the world from mediocrity and the status quo.” With the help of Layar, Gaby’s artwork is coming to life in a new, digital way.

By scanning the artworks with Layar, visitors to the The Mojo Gallery in Dubai can follow the story of MegaTulipMan like reading a comic book. Comic-style captions appear on and around the artworks, and sometimes even new digital artwork (like laser eyes) appears to supplement the scenes.

If you’re not in Dubai, you can still see the TulipMan layer in action. Just flip through the slideshow below and scan the images with Layar. You’ll see the story of MegaTulipMan come alive right before you.

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Today we’ve released an update to Layar that you can now find in both the iTunes App Store and the Android Market. While it’s a small release from 6.0 to 6.1, it’s an important one, and here’s why.

With Layar 6.1, we’re focusing more on Layar Vision, and making the experience of viewing Vision content easier and faster. To get a better understanding of the changes coming in Layar 6.1, we crafted a quick video introducing you to the new features.

As you can see, the changes are minor but important:

• Firstly, when you launch Layar, you are now brought immediately to the Scan View screen. This way, when you see the View with Layar logo out in the world, you’re only one tap away from scanning and viewing great Layar Vision content. If you want to skip this screen and head to the layer catalogue, just tap the “Layers” button in the lower left corner. 
• And when you do scan items, you can do so by tapping anywhere on the Scan View screen. Previously we had a small area where you could tap, but now, simply tap anywhere to get started. It’s a small change, but it can go a long way to making Layar Vision a better experience.
• Finally, when you scan for Vision content, the layer will immediately launch if it is the only result found. Previously we displayed a results screen, and when only one result is listed, this is unnecessary. Just another small change making the use of Layar Vision a little more user-friendly.

Layar 6.1 is available now in the App Store and Android Market, so make sure you update today!