WILL AR BE THE BIG IMMERSIVE BREAKTHROUGH?

Chidi Nwaubani is a Nigerian-British artist and founder of LOOTY.art, pioneering digital repatriation through 3D scanning, AR, and VR. His “digital heists” recreate artefacts like the Benin Bronzes and Rosetta Stone, reimagining ownership and access to cultural heritage. Based between London and Dubai, Chidi merges art, technology, and activism to reclaim lost narratives and empower communities. His work has been featured by BBC, Reuters, and Frieze and recognized at the Venice Biennale 2023. 

Heather Dunaway Smith is an award-winning XR artist and technologist crafting immersive experiences that blur the line between art and audience. Throughout her career as a creative director and interactive designer, she has collaborated with leading global brands on projects ranging from virtual worlds and museum exhibits to AR and VR artworks. She’s held AR art residencies with Adobe and Snap, spoken at major conferences including Adobe MAX, and curated several immersive exhibitions.

Lien is a Vietnamese creative technologist & musician focused on imagining the future of art & tech. She is the singer, songwriter & music producer behind LIÊNA, where she creates catchy, hard-hitting alt-pop. Leveraging her software background in service of her art, Lien is constantly exploring new tools & technologies to bring new dimensions to her music. Beside her music work, Lien’s also an engineer and prototyper, focused on creating experiences and interfaces for the XR medium.