Doddz brings augmented reality art to life with Soyang Europe materials

Accrington, UK, 2024: British interactive artist Doddz recently teamed up with Soyang Europe and Hybrid Services for an innovative art exhibition that showcased his work using augmented reality (AR) technology.

Hosted in Manchester’s famous Northern Quarter in April, ‘A Different Perspective’ was a private viewing where visitors were able to view striking printed canvases, floor graphics and 3D artwork from Doddz, offering an insight into the highs and lows the artist has experienced during the past two years.

Taking this a step further, work was brought to life through the use of AR, with those in attendance able to experience this by holding up their mobile devices in front of the art. This added a whole other dimension to traditional artwork, allowing visitors to explore the art further.

Doddz was able to achieve this unique effect by working with both Hybrid Services, the exclusive UK and Irish distributor of Mimaki printing equipment, and Soyang Europe, the leading manufacturer and distributor of digitally printable wide- and superwide-format media.

Gareth Newman, Technical Applications Manager at Soyang Europe, worked closely with the artist throughout the project to ensure he had access to the most suitable materials from Soyang Europe’s wide range of solutions. 

“We used several of Mimaki’s latest printers to recreate Doddz’s artwork on a range of Soyang materials,” Gareth said.

Modern solutions for modern art

Considering the various elements of the exhibition, Soyang Europe recommended several solutions to Doddz. 

First, Doddz worked with Desardi Brush effect wallpaper to create individual pieces of work for the show. This material features a painted brush texture that paired perfectly with the style of Doddz’s artwork, bringing digitally created artwork to life.

Doddz also used Alumigraphics Floor White for the floor graphics area of the event. This is a highly durable solution that can resist heavy footfall, meaning the artwork was not damaged by people walking over it throughout the exhibition. The material also easily adhered to the cracked painted flooring within the studio space.

In addition, Doddz worked with Wallcover Permanent, a high-tack adhesive textured vinyl, to create wallpaper for the showing. Soyang Europe recommended this material as it mimics classic wallpapers that commonly appear in bedrooms and similar environments.

Doddz utilised a range of Mimaki printers to produce the final pieces. These include the Mimaki UJV100-160Plus energy efficient UV printer, 3DUJ-553 full colour 3D printer, UJF-3042MkII e flatbed and TxF300-75 DTF printer.

“Doddz was very surprised with the outcome and really pleased with the finished pieces,” Gareth said. 

Writing on Instagram after the event, Doddz said: “The love and admiration I felt was incredible, and seeing all your reactions first hand was worth all the late nights. I’m so grateful to have met so many new and familiar faces who share the same passion as me for the future of art.

“Witnessing the initial encounter they have with the magic of AR art fills me with immense pride and confirms that the more people become aware of its existence, the more they’ll fall in love with it.”

Such was the success of the collaboration that Doddz is now working with Soyang Europe on several other new projects. Amongst the pieces currently being produced is a 2.2m square canvas that will feature at an upcoming event.