This project focuses on exploring the legacy of John Ruskin by utilising Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide a unique platform to display and explore his works.

The Roadshow showcased Augmented-Reality experiences, such as an interactive cyanometer on an iPad to identify and measure the colour blue in skies, and a series of The Ruskin also exhibited a range of AR experiences using iPads with specially designed postcards displaying related works from The Collection. Each postcard displayed one work from The Collection with a QR code linking it to a related photographic image from today. Presenting works from The Collection through the immersive experiences of AR and VR highlights the ongoing relevance of Ruskin’s ideas – from education to environmentalism – to the challenges of today’s modern world.

Tested across Lancaster University Campus in Spring 2024 at a series of drop-in sessions for staff and students, The Ruskin Roadshow was the first in a series of events trialling the AR experiences.