MinjungPark

The impact of COVID-19 extended beyond public health, deeply affecting university communities worldwide. Departments that thrive on collaboration and face-to-face interaction, such as those in arts, humanities, and sciences, face unprecedented challenges. At many institutions, including the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts), students, professors, and researchers found themselves increasingly isolated. The usual exchange of ideas, creative energy, and mentorship became difficult, if not impossible, in a remote setting.

This disconnect affected not only academic and artistic development but also the sense of community that’s so essential to the university experience. Coincidentally, this period also marked the 30th anniversary of K-Arts. This unique timing inspired the development of Artronaut, an app designed not only to bridge the gap caused by physical isolation but also to celebrate the university’s milestone in a meaningful way.

I collaborated with researchers from the Art Collider Lab at K-Arts and developers from Plinquer to create the <Artronaut> app. More than just a tool, <Artronaut> is an adventure, turning campus exploration into a game-like experience. It invites students into an interactive journey that brings our diverse artistic community closer, allowing connection and discovery even when in-person interaction is limited.

Artronaut offers a total of 11 AR experiences across the campus, with six main experiences representing each core major and five side missions linked to campus facilities like the school plaza, creative building, and Daehak-ro campus. Each experience is unique, featuring activities like AR drawing, a narrative-based choice game, rhythm-making, and performance viewing, where dancers’ movements are rendered as geometric shapes. Completing all 11 experiences rewards users with a commemorative NFT.

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Creating a shared journey in a time of separation, through AR and Art