Apple has debuted a new, free-to-watch documentary on Apple TV, directed by renowned photographer Ryan McGinley. Infinite Canvas follows “seven visionary artists as they push the boundaries of their work by exploring the uncharted territory of augmented reality art.”
The film is based on an AR[T] experimental art series that Apple staged last year at Apple Stores in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.
The Infinite Canvas documentary features McGinley traveling around the world to talk with the artists who wound up playing a role in Apple’s interactive exhibits. Artists who featured in Apple’s exhibition included Nick Cave, Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg, Cao Fei, John Giorno, Carsten Höller and Pipilotti Rist. As 9to5Mac points out, John Giorno is no longer among us, having passed away in October 2019 at the age of 82. In the film he talks about death and the creative process.
The main theme of the documentary is how augmented reality can be a game-changer for creativity. As with a lot of Apple’s advertising, it treads a neat balance between showing off Apple tech and showcasing how it can be used in a creative manner.
Tim Cook has been very bullish on the potential of AR. He calls it “the next big thing.” Apple is reportedly working on an AR headset that will take its augmented reality ambitions to the next level.
The one-hour five-minute Infinite Canvas documentary is available to watch here.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
