NOW — Solo Exhibition by Aboud Fares

Hin Bus Depot Gallery, Penang
11 February – 2 March 2022

The NOW exhibition Aboud Fares 2022 marked a turning point in my practice. It was my first solo exhibition built entirely around augmented reality.

Presented at Hin Bus Depot, NOW invited visitors to experience sculpture without physical material. Instead of iron or concrete, the works existed digitally.

About the Exhibition

The NOW exhibition Aboud Fares 2022 featured 16 augmented reality sculptures. The works were installed through printed posters placed inside the gallery. Each poster included a QR code.

Visitors scanned the codes using the Perk Reality app. Once scanned, a three-dimensional sculpture appeared on their screen, positioned inside the real gallery space.

As a result, the audience became active participants. They had to move their phones around the space to fully experience the artwork.

Sculpture Without Material

This exhibition explored a simple question:
What happens when sculpture is no longer limited by weight, gravity, or material?

Through augmented reality, I was able to create forms that would be impossible in iron or steel. The works floated, expanded, and interacted with the surrounding architecture.

The NOW exhibition Aboud Fares 2022 was not only about technology. It was about presence. It asked viewers to focus on the present moment — on the interaction between body, screen, and space.

A New Direction

By merging sculpture with digital space, NOW opened a new chapter in my artistic journey. It expanded my understanding of form and allowed me to rethink how exhibitions can function.

The NOW exhibition Aboud Fares 2022 demonstrated that sculpture does not need to be physically solid to feel real.

Media coverage: George Town artist introduces a new way of exhibiting 3D art through AR