Sea Point get AR mural

In a twist on the standard, wall-bound mural, Cape Town’s Sea Point promenade now hosts a dynamic, immersive artwork using augmented reality, titled Seaside Circus.

Tonton, a Capetonian designer, artist, and illustrator – real name Maximillian Goldin – has created a piece that interacts with its viewers with the help of AugmentedCities.co: Scanning the mural with a smartphone will animate it and display additional information on screen. The mural forms part of an initiative supported by coatings brand, Plascon that aims to bring colour to public spaces.

Tonton is managed by SJ Artists, and his work is centred on play, nature and imagination. The mural has been painted in a spectrum of colourful paints provided by Plascon. Tonton opted for a water-based quality acrylic emulsion, Plascon Super Acrylic Polvin, to bring his vision to life. Specially formulated for strength and durability on both interiors and exteriors, with a stain-resistant and easy to clean smooth matt finish, Plascon Super Acrylic Polvin tint bases provide an abundance of colour tinting options for rich colours and durability.

“The idea of this mural was to create a playful and relevant piece of art which enriches the environment and brings smiles to all people, young and old, who see the artwork while strolling on the prom or driving by in their car,” says Tonton.

The Sea Point Promenade, fondly known as “the prom”, is a much-loved open-air space that is used by people from across the city and from all walks of life. In recent years it has also become a place of artistic expression and exhibition. With permission from the city authorities, the exterior of the Sea Point Promenade restroom has had its exterior uplifted and amplified by Tonton’s work. The colourful mural was completed in June 2021 and depicts Tonton’s unique visual language.

“This is one of my signature styles – world-building with the use of colour and shape to create abstract characters and balance them in an unexpected way,” he says. “I’m so excited to bring this piece to life, with the help from Johan from Augmented cities who has worked his magic and created a VR activation for the artwork. This brings it to life in a digital space with 3D and animation.”

AugmentedCities.co uses technology to bring immersive experiences of city murals, art galleries, performing arts and museums to everyone with a smart device. 

“Combining art with tech creates something special,” says Johan Walters, a producer at AugmentedCities.co.. “We’re excited about the creative opportunities we can unlock with Augmented Reality to bring this mural to life.

Augmenting the mural means that it can be experienced by anyone, anywhere, says Suvasin Moodley, head of decorative marketing at Plascon.