‘[I]t may well be that imagination and the ability to formulate rapid hypotheses is nowhere more  harmful. After all, on that planet anything is possible.’
Source: Lem, Stanislaw. Solaris (p. 86). Kindle Edition. Transl. Bill Johnston
Publisher : Pro Auctore Wojciech Zemek; 2nd Edition (November 22, 2014)

SOL.AR.IS is an art project inspired by the science-fiction novel entitled „Solaris” written by Stanisław Lem, created in the form of a mobile application using Augmented Reality technology. SOL.AR.IS is a virtual space where the spectator has the opportunity to interact in real time with ephemeral, virtual 3D objects inspired by the creations of the cytoplasmic, intelligent ocean that covers the planet Solaris – mimoids, symmetries or asymmetries, fantastic phenomena described in the novel.
Animated objects were designed by CGI artists: Oliver Latta from Germany, Yuma Yanagisawa from Japan, Uwe Rieger and Yinan Liu from New Zealand, Zsolt Laszlo Bordos and Gaspar Battha from Hungary. Ambient soundscapes for each of the objects were composed by the Iranian audiovisual artist Ali Phi. Each object is accompanied by a quote from Stanisław Lem’s novel, which was an inspiration for creative work.

Sculptures can be discovered and viewed in the spectators’ surroundings using his/her own smartphone or tablet with the installed free application, by scanning the floor, meadow or street.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
1/ Download and install the free SOL.AR.IS application from AppStore/Google Play.
2/ Open the application. Plug in a headphones. By moving the phone, scan the chosen horizontal surface where you want to reveal the object.
3/ Reveal the object(s) by clicking on the scanned area (marked with yellow dots) on the phone screen.

Concept and coordination of the project: Elwira Wojtunik, Popesz Csaba Láng
UX: Popesz Csaba Láng
UI: Milena Malecha
3D objects: Yuma Yanagisawa, Uwe Rieger, Yinan Liu, Zsolt Laszlo Bordos, Oliver Latta, Gaspar Battha
Music: Ali Phi
Literary and linguistic consultation: Olga Brzezińska
Production and copyrights: Photon Foundation
All rights reserved.
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SOL.AR.IS project was created for the Photon Foundation in 2020 and was subsidised by the National Centre for Culture under the programme ‘Kultura w sieci’.

The premiere of SOL.AR.IS took place during the opening of the Patchlab Digital Art Festival on October 23rd, 2020. Since then it was presented at the following exhibiotions:

Fotonica Audio Visual Digital Art Festival 2021 | 17-24 Nov 2021
City Lab  971 | Rome, Italy

Athens Digital Art Festival 2021 TACTUS | 13-18 Oct 2021
Athens, Greece

ARCHEtypus Utopien sozialer Architektur | 29 Aug – 3 Oct 2021
(Kunsthalle Faust | Hannover, Germany

Arché. Architecture of Universe / Biennale Architettura 2021 | 19 June – 15 July 2021
Giudecca Art District, Pavilion 0/3, Venice, Italy