“Immersive storytelling is the future”: How this creator uses AR to connect Canadians and drive change

Creators of Tomorrow is an initiative celebrating emerging talent from around the world who are inspiring a new movement of creative content online. Presented by Meta, the series will champion Canadian creators who are turning their passions into professions and pushing culture forward through innovative new formats.

Joshua Conrad is a multi-disciplinary artist from the Stó꞉lō Nation, located in the Sumas Territory of British Columbia, who specializes in 3D and augmented reality (AR). Through the creation of innovative digital content, Conrad aims to empower people and communities to interact with art in creative ways, beyond the limits of physical space.

Vancouver-based Conrad began his career printing t-shirts and completed a digital design program before setting up a print collective. It wasn’t long before a friend introduced him to 3D motion graphics, something that completely changed the course of his professional life. 

“I ended up falling in love with 3D motion graphics and working in this field became my every day,” says Conrad in an interview with Meta. “I was creating album covers, videos, and GIFs using bubbly shapes, colours, and abstract visuals. My career journey took a second turn when my studio mates requested that I transform their work, including physical mural projects, into 3D objects… We started implementing those murals to a 3D scape, making them interactive and allowing audiences to explore reality-altering art in real environments and in real-time.”

Meta

For Conrad, art is an integral part of speaking to social movements and influencing change. Through art, he says, we can encourage conversations and get people thinking.

Working under the name SlowStudies Creative, Conrad has completed a number of projects, such as animating the You Are Not Alone Murals, a project that aims to increase public awareness of mental health. Conrad has also collaborated with Indigenous artist Mo Thunder Bedard to bring their artwork, Water Equals Life, to life through AR.

Conrad recently created an AR effect for Instagram, in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The effect was designed to commemorate the Indigenous children who never made it home from residential school. Inspired by the experience of Phyllis Jack Webstad, and developed in partnership with the Orange Shirt Society, the immersive filter enabled people across the country to wear their digital Orange Shirts, a powerful symbol of the loss experienced by students, their families, and communities over generations.

“These collaborations show how art is an important tool for supporting social movements, and how AR can be used to spread important messages in not only an engaging manner, but on a larger scale than ever before,” he says. “When we create engaging work for social causes displayed in public places — online or in the physical realm — it promotes conversation. By starting those conversations, we play a role in driving change and making the world a better and brighter place.”

Meta

Immersive storytelling is something Conrad believes will continue to provide creators, artists, and storytellers with a platform to connect with the world.

“Immersive storytelling is the future. Most importantly, it’s helping us future-proof our stories with future generations. Static art can’t always be viewed by everyone, since it is hosted in a gallery or exhibition space. We can bring that art onto social platforms in a way that’s accessible, so more people can engage with these art pieces and stories. Even if you aren’t physically in a gallery, you can still interact with the piece digitally in an almost tangible way, which I think is really amazing.

He continues: “It will allow our voices to be heard, and our culture to be seen not just on a community level, but by the world. It’s uplifting all of our voices and letting our artwork rise and be shared in such an easy, interesting, and engaging way. I think it will attract not just our youth, but other people and organizations, and it’ll grow more interest in our stories, cultures, and histories.”

To learn more about Josh Conrad’s work, follow the artist on Instagram.