In 2019, the inaugural Flinders Quarter Augmented Art Walk installed fantastical digital art throughout the Flinders Quarter – the section of the city bordered by Collins, Swanston, Flinders and Elizabeth streets. Part self-guided tour and part treasure hunt, the walk used augmented reality app Eyejack to let walkers discover artworks and the local stories that inspired them. The walk was so successful that it was extended for six weeks due to popular demand.
Now it's back for 2021 as a Covid-safe outdoor experience everyone can enjoy. Take a stroll to find 12 new artworks by celebrated Australian artists – Stanislava Pinchuk, Carla Gottgens, United Make, Anton Hasell, Tracy Sarroff, Dee Smart, Jingwen (Jina) He, Ann Ryan, Sue Beyer, Jasmine Mansbridge, Vandal and Sonia Kretschmar. As you find each one, use your phone or tablet to unlock the artwork’s animation and sound, and follow the clues that will lead you to the next one.
If you activate all 12 artworks then you have the chance to win a major prize worth over $4,000, and one of 65 minor prizes.
As you travel up, down and around Flinders Quarter, you’ll also get to discover the precinct’s diverse independent businesses. There are plenty of places to stop for coffee and a bite to eat mid walk, and the quarter is home to some of the coolest local designers, makers and labels (we would spend all day in the Nicholas Building if we could).
To get started, you’ll need to download the Eyejack app and pick up a Flinders Quarter Augmented Art Walk map (available from the Metro Tunnel HQ on Swanston Street, participating Flinders Quarter businesses and Melbourne cafés). Check in, then hit the streets and start discovering creative augmented art. The Augmented Art Walk is running for nine weeks only, so you’ve got until July 16 to explore, unlock and experience art differently.