The Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) sought a way to bring to life acclaimed First Nations artist Judy Watson's sculpture, tow row, introduce visitors to the artwork, and educate the public on the continuing importance of First Nations People's knowledge.

We collaborated with First Nations artists, storytellers, teachers and Elders to create an immersive, mixed-reality experience, interweaving the stories of the sculpture's creation, with the history of life on the river at Kurilpa.

Designed to be experienced on mobile and on location, tow row uses the physical sculpture as a digital anchor point transforming visitors devices into a window to Kurilpa’s past. Using on-device motion sensors, 3D photosphere environments align to the real-world sculpture, situating tow row in its original First Nation’s context.

Hand-animated wildlife, multi-layered soundscapes and navigational hotspots enhance and enrich the historically accurate virtual environments, revealing the hidden histories of the sculpture’s creation.

Keyframe-rendered SVG animations and a custom mask-based transition framework tie the journey together, reflecting the shadows cast by the sculpture. An innovative mix of animation techniques and optimised 3D models allow for a fully in-browser experience, removing the barrier of a large app download.

Utterly captivating yet largely unknown, tow row, like so many other First Nation stories deserves the richest telling for the widest audience.