Open every day at FACT until 13 December, ‘Augmented Empathy’ invites visitors to step into a virtual world and explore new visual identities using their phones.

From a tranquil animated woodland to Instagram filters which give you scales and deep blue skin, the exhibition “draws on the power of nature to elicit our understanding of each other and our kinship with the earth”.

Created by artist collective Keiken, with dance artist Sakeema Crook and CGI artist Ryan Vautier, Augmented Empathy mirrors the way we, and specifically young people, learn to interact using social media as a tool for expression.

Using Instagram filter technology accessed via your phone, and a meditative film installation, the exhibition is described as an exercise in “unlearning the ways in which we construct identity”.

In addition to visiting the exhibition at FACT, attendees can also experience the artwork at home by heading to @FACT_Liverpool on Instagram.

Using the app, you can try on a series of brand new filters that use augmented reality to transform your visual appearance, allowing you to embody a non-human identity.

Alongside both the exhibition at FACT and the digital artwork on Instagram, a live performance in Liverpool brought the filters to life.

Augmented reality pieces unfurl from Sakeema Crook’s body during an intimate continuation of the speech she gave at the recent Black Lives Matter and Black Trans Lives Matter protests.

The Learning Team at FACT says: “Augmented Empathy has been an opportunity to evolve our collaborative practice and to really understand social media, specifically when used as a space for exchange and learning. Keiken created an experience that feels both individual and collaborative, while questioning how we inhabit this planet as a collective.”

Artist collective Keiken adds: “For this project we really had to consider how people were adapting to the present moment and that the work had to reflect and complement each transitional time. We wanted to utilise readily available tools, such as Instagram.

“Then we used a gaming engine so that we could collaborate remotely to create virtual worlds and once lockdown was eased we developed augmented reality temporary tattoos which connected to Instagram and performance. There are so many stages and transformations within this project that we are really excited to share with you all.”

Related posts:

Arts should be seen as ‘key’ to city growth despite Brexit, says FACT Liverpool Arab Arts Festival 2017 unveils first wave of events Liverpool cultural organisations bring £27m boost to city Liverpool 2018 celebrations promise ‘incredible time’ for city Packed cultural programme of Liverpool 2018 festivities revealed Liverpool Biennial reveals 2018 programme highlights