design & research
Perception of Reality:
An Augmented Reality Exhibition
Role: Artist, Technologist, Augmented Reality Experience Designer
Tags: Augmented Reality, Digital Media Collage, Photography, Interactive Exhibition,
Emerging Tech, Immersive Art
Tools: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Aero, Adobe Creative Cloud, Canon Cameras, Artwork Printing and Framing Design
Project Overview
Perception of Reality is an immersive Augmented Reality exhibition that merges photography, digital media collage, and spatial technology to explore how we perceive the boundary between the tangible and the imagined.
Presented at Carnegie Hall Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia (2022), the solo show transformed static wall art into interactive, layered experiences, inviting viewers to step inside each piece through their mobile devices.
Working closely with the gallery director and curator, Nima oversaw every aspect of the exhibition’s realization, from concept development and artwork production to the AR integration pipeline. Each of the 19 collages began as a photograph, later digitally reconstructed into surreal compositions and brought to life through Adobe Aero, where audiences could scan, move through, and interact with 3D layers that deepened the visual narrative.
Following its success and extended run at Carnegie Hall, Perception of Reality was later featured at the University of Charleston Innovation Hub, expanding its reach to new audiences and highlighting how art and technology can coexist to reshape human experience.
Concept & Vision
Perception of Reality explores how technology reshapes our relationship with what is seen, remembered, and imagined. Each artwork began as a photograph, later transformed through digital collage into surreal compositions that question the boundaries of perception and space.
Original Digital Media Photography piece, "Life After Death"
By layering physical prints with virtual depth, the project invites viewers to look beyond the surface, revealing hidden dimensions that blur the line between the physical world and the digital imagination.
The exhibition encouraged audiences to slow down, observe, and experience photography not as a flat record, but as a living, interactive narrative.
Artwork sliced digitally, added as AR layer on top of printed/framed piece at the gallery
Creation Process
Each piece in Perception of Reality began as an original photograph, captured and composed to serve as the foundation for a larger visual narrative. These images were digitally transformed in Adobe Photoshop, where multiple layers of surreal textures, patterns, and forms were composed to create the final collages.
2D collage sliced in several layers and added to Adobe Aero
workspace, created a cloud based Augmented Reality model
Original Digital Media Photography piece, "Illusion of Life"
To bring these static works into three-dimensional space, the layered files were imported into Adobe Aero, where depth, scale, and motion were added to construct immersive environments.
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Using the Adobe Cloud recognition system, each physical artwork in the gallery was mapped to its corresponding digital version, allowing viewers to scan the printed piece and explore its layered dimensions in real time through their mobile devices.
Final product for this collage, 1 of 19 pieces on display
Gallery Setup & Collaboration
The exhibition came to life through close collaboration with the Carnegie Hall Gallery director and curator, transforming the concept into a fully realized immersive experience. Together, the layout, lighting, and spacing were designed to emphasize both the physical presence of the artworks and their augmented reality extensions.
Each digital media collage was printed on metal panels and large-format framed prints, arranged to allow clear visibility for AR interaction.
Visitors could scan the works using the Adobe Aero app, seamlessly triggering the 3D layers that hovered over the prints, creating a sense of motion and depth within the gallery environment.
Original Digital Media Photography piece,
"It's all in the Roots"
Augmented Reality display of the artwork
The installation’s success led Carnegie Hall to extend the exhibition beyond its original timeline, hosting it during community events and artist talks that brought new audiences into contact with interactive digital art.
Original Digital Media Photography piece,
"Nature's Gnome"
Augmented Reality display of the artwork
Immersive AR Experience
Photos and video from the exhibition captured genuine awe as visitors leaned closer, walked around the frames, and watched the imagery unfold in motion.
The installation blurred the boundaries between seeing and sensing, redefining how photography and digital media could coexist within a single, living space.
The defining element of Perception of Reality was its interactive Augmented Reality layer a seamless bridge between physical art and digital immersion.
Viewers were invited to scan each printed collage using the Adobe Aero app, instantly revealing dynamic 3D forms that appeared to rise from the artwork itself.
As participants moved around the pieces, their perspective shifted through layers of texture, light, and pattern, creating the sensation of entering the composition.
The experience transformed the traditional act of viewing into exploration, encouraging audiences to linger, observe, and interact with the work from multiple angles.
Full Tour of the Exhibition at Carnegie Hall, Lewisburg, WV
Expansion & Exhibition at the Innovation Hub
Following its success at Carnegie Hall, Perception of Reality was invited to the University of Charleston’s Innovation Hub, where a curated selection of ten digital media collages was featured during the city’s Art Walk.
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The new exhibition preserved the original AR experience while adapting it to a more contemporary setting, demonstrating the flexibility and accessibility of the technology.
Viewers once again used the Adobe Aero app to explore each layered artwork, revealing motion, light, and form suspended in augmented space.
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This second installation underscored the exhibition’s ability to connect diverse audiences through immersive storytelling and showcased how creative technology can extend the lifespan and reach of traditional visual art.
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Full Tour of the Exhibition at the University of Charleston's Innovation Hub
Outcome & Reflection
Perception of Reality marked a turning point in merging visual art and emerging technology within Nima’s creative practice. The exhibition demonstrated how Augmented Reality could extend the sensory experience of photography, transforming static compositions into multidimensional, participatory encounters.
The project received strong community engagement, leading to an extended run at Carnegie Hall and a subsequent showcase at the University of Charleston Innovation Hub. Beyond its exhibitions, Perception of Reality became a foundation for future explorations in immersive design, influencing Nima’s ongoing research in AR, UX, and interactive storytelling.
Through this work, the boundary between artist and technologist blurred, giving rise to a practice rooted in curiosity, dialogue, and the evolving intersection of human perception and digital imagination.