A group of tech-minded artists in Oakland launched their first-ever Juneteenth Hackathon this week, a tech event aimed at changing the way art is discovered and viewed in the community from a 21st-century perspective.
Local muralists are finding new ways to showcase their work.
As dusk falls after a long day at work, Timothy B. is in the space spray painting a new creative take on the mural.
“When you're on the wall, what's behind you and around you isn't as important as what you're doing in front of you,” the artist explained.
The Oakland muralist says his trees are a reminder of past damage and a call to repair what's broken.
“I'll go and give these trees more life than we know,” Timothy B. said.
His latest work will be the canvas for techies gathering in Oakland for the Juneteenth Hack.
A mural painted by an Auckland artist at Auckland International High School will be transformed during the event using augmented reality tools and apps.
“I want people to be fully immersed in the work, even if only through their mobile phone. What would that feel like?” asked Timothy B.
Juneteenth Hackathon uses augmented reality to transform how art is accessed.
Damien McDuffie is the founder of Black Terminus, an app designed to bring technology and art together. In 2020, he collaborated with Timothy B to create the first augmented reality mural of the founders of the Black Panther Party.
“When you look around our city, you don't see them depicted anywhere,” McDuffie said.
Across the street from the Oakland Police Department you can see Huey Newton and Bobby Seale.
McDuffie added historical context with speeches and audio that can be accessed by holding up your phone as you pass by.
“You've known how to do this for a while now, now let's bring it here and present it in a different way,” McDuffie said.
Newton and Seal suddenly “come to life” – an example of introducing the artist community to a platform where they can add their digital creativity.
“I hope more people will get involved in this and tell stories from their perspective and create new ways to tell stories in AR,” McDuffie said.
This is a step towards bringing more Black entrepreneurs, visionaries and artists closer to the future of augmented reality, artificial intelligence and technology.
“When you open up technology through art, it also opens up the opportunity to bring diversity into the space,” McDuffie said.
Timothy B is one of the artists taking part in the Juneteenth Hackathon, expanding the possibilities for his message to reach a wider audience and be seen by more people through his technology-amplified work.
“Sometimes it's freestyling. It just comes from within,” Timothy B. said.
McDuffie says he works with galleries and museums to add digital elements to physical artworks, increasing their value and chances of sale.
Before he began working on his augmented reality art, his biggest pieces were selling for $250, but since he's added AR elements to his work, some of his pieces have sold for 10 times that amount, McDuffie said.
The hackathon runs until Sunday, and more information on how to take part can be found on the Juneteenth Hack website.
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Kenny Choi
