Louvre Augmented Reality Exhibit With Snapchat Uncovers Ancient Egypt

Enhancing museum exhibits with augmented reality is a great use case for the immersive technology and a fantastic way for museum curators and programmers to bring art and history to life via a relatively new digital + physical canvas. In this case, the Parisian museum enhances some of its own installations via Snapchat while also offering users the chance to engage with a related lens even if they can’t make it to Paris.

Snapchat maker Snap has teamed up with the Louvre museum in Paris on a five-part augmented reality (AR) experience called “Egypt Augmented.”

The installation comprises four location-specific experiences based around three exhibits inside the museum’s Department of Egyptian Antiquities, and one in the exterior courtyard, the Cour Carrée. Additionally, Snapchat users around the globe can also use a free Face Lens feature inspired by the exhibition.

Upon scanning a QR code with their smartphone, visitors to the museum can see exhibits come to life in AR before their eyes. The "Dendera Zodiac,” a ceiling relief featuring a Ptolemaic sky map from 50BC, appears in 3D alongside simple explanations of its symbols and purpose.

Full story at Decrypt.