The Town of Aurora, in collaboration with the Aurora Cultural Centre and Oddside Arts, presents ‘Future Grounds’, a public art initiative featuring eight emerging youth artists. These artists produced temporary, large-scale banner installations, developed through a mentorship program, bringing an innovative and dynamic energy to Town Square.

Each of the talented artists, aged 16 to 24, worked with Toronto-based public art collective Oddside Arts, to create unique pieces, each enhanced with Augmented Reality (AR) technology. Visitors can use the free Artvive app to unlock animations and explore deeper meanings within the artwork, creating an interactive, immersive experience.

“Aurora Town Square is a space for our community to come together, and this public art initiative is a fantastic way to showcase the creativity, diversity and talent of our youth,” said Mayor Tom Mrakas. “Seeing these banners in person and using the Artvive app to experience the augmented reality is truly something special. I highly recommend everyone come to Aurora Town Square to check it out for themselves.”

Participating artists:

• Unity’s Gilded Embrace (2024), Sydney Achtermeier
• they watch (2024), Niya Ahmed Abdullahi
• Athena’s touch (2024), Justina Kandiotis
• A Poisoned Dream (2024), Narmineh Khurram
• Guided by the Waves (2024), Madison Kwok
• Esperanza (2024), Luna Quijano-Barraza
• Home (2024), Nazia Munir
• In Comes the New Generation! (2024), Joycelyn Ng

AR technology blends computer-generated imagery, videos, and sound effects with the real world, enhancing the viewer's experience. Through the Artvive app, visitors to ‘Future Grounds’ will see the installations come to life, immersing them in a unique artistic experience that bridges the digital and physical worlds.

‘Future Grounds’ is now open to the public and is displayed across multiple sites within Aurora Town Square. For more information on this initiative and other exhibits at Town Square, visit AuroraTownSquare.ca.

About Aurora Town Square

Aurora Town Square is a dynamic community facility and vibrant outdoor square. It is a key part of the Town’s downtown revitalization, complementing Aurora’s small-town charm with big-city amenities.

Learn more at: AuroraTownSquare.ca