Art by Emily Brascoupé-Hoefler

Emily Brascoupé-Hoefler, who grew up in the Glebe, is an Algonquin Anishinabeg artist who recently collaborated with a London, Ontario augmented reality (AR) company, EXAR Studios, to create an augmented reality art project for viewers at a number of locations in Ottawa, including a camper van on Sparks Street. While the AR project on Sparks Street closes November 15, the rest of the walking tour in downtown is ongoing, including Brascoupé-Hoefler’s mixed-media artwork at the National Arts Centre.

The piece, called Pangawogo Ninga Aki (Heartbeat of Mother Earth), evokes the need to walk gently on the land. It is located inside the NAC’s canal-side lobby, and a digital version is displayed on the NAC’s five-storey Kipnes Lantern. The AR experience is available through the Engage Art app designed by EXAR, which allows the viewer to see and hear about traditional Algonquin sky and land teachings.