Child of Now

A Public Artwork of Scale – IN DEVELOPMENT

This project-in-development combines emerging virtual holographic and artificial intelligence technology with performances from 14,400 Victorians.

The urgent aim of this project is to create a once in a lifetime ritual for the people of Melbourne to speculate on the next century and consciously empathise with future generations who will inherit our society. I am asking people to imagine the next century through the eyes of a child born today. 

Child of Now is being created in partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne and has received development grants from City of Melbourne, Creative Victoria and University of Melbourne.

Further details will be released as the project progresses. This page outlines the development of the project so far. If you would like to know more or would like to contribute, please get in touch!

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Prototyping

In 2021 we are working on prototypes for the Child of Now project funded through a major grant from Melbourne School of Engineering and The School of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne.

The focus of our work is on the development of technological systems that enable the creation of high-resolution, moving holograms of the human body, without the need to wear a motion capture suit.

During 2021 Robert is the resident artist in the School of Computing and Information Systems and is working with researchers in the Interaction Design Lab and the Usability Lab on the prototype artwork.

The prototype will be developed through public engagements at Melbourne Connect and Arts Centre Melbourne in February 2022.

Feasibility Study

In 2018 we completed a comprehensive Feasibility Study for Child of Now funded by Creative Victoria, City of Melbourne and Arts Centre Melbourne.

The 42-page study details the project’s concept, co-creative approach, design, audience strategy, deliverables, partners, governance, First Nation engagement, technical feasibility, approach to diversity, community engagement strategy, international strategy, budget and proof of concept.

It included contributions from:

• Robert Walton
• Claire G Coleman
• Gendry Morales
• Angharad Wynne-Jones
• Brad Hammond
• Anna Tregloan
• Kieth Tucker
• Luke McKinnon
• Xavier Irvine
• Chris Clarke

Open Studio – Creative Development

June 2018 – Arts Centre Melbourne supported by City of Melbourne

Over three days the participants unpacked the research material and concept of Child of Now. Focused discussions on technical feasibility took place at the end of each day to ground speculation and move us closer to a deliverable project.

Participants

• Robert Walton, Lead Artist, Director
• Angharad Wynne-Jones, Head of Participation, Arts Centre Melbourne
• Emma Dodd, Creative Producer, Arts Centre Melbourne
• Mish Grigor, Artist, Co-founder of POST
• Luke McKinnon, Founder and Director, Common State, Communications
• Brad Hammond, Creative Technologist, Emerging Media System Design Expert
• Gendry Morales, Founder and CEO, Flight Plan, Blockchain Expert
• Margie Mahon, Research Innovation and Commercialization, University of Melbourne
• Prof Frank Vetere, Head Microsoft Centre for Social Natural User Interaction
• Dr Alison Bennett, Artist working in expanded photography and digital media
• J Rosenbaum, Contemporary Figurative Artist

One morning the team visited Investment Centre Victoria on Floor 46 of 55 Collins Street. The view of the stretch of the river addressed in Part II was critical in helping the team understand the scale of the project.

Focus Groups

Arts Centre Melbourne and Luke McKinnon director of Common State conducted two focus groups with members of the public about the concept and appeal of Child of Now. One group of 53 year olds and another of 23 year olds worked for 2 hours each on the project concept. The feedback gained from this exercise has informed the shape of the project and feasibility study.

The use of virtual and augmented reality was appealing to both groups, and particularly appealing was the ability to participate with friends and family in contributing your own image and then being able to see it again in the city. The 53 year olds strongly favoured an innovative project that puts the city and state on the international map in terms of ambition, as well as feeling connected to the idea of adding part of themselves to posterity. The 23 year olds were drawn to the idea of being able to participate with their friends and access the work during the evenings and night.

Comments from Focus Group participants

Blast Theory Development

In April and May 2018 Robert Walton was artist in residence at Blast Theory in Brighton UK as part of the Australia Council’s International Residency Program. Blast Theory are the world-leading pioneers of interactive art, asking thorny questions in public spaces. For six weeks Robert developed the concept for Child of Now under the mentorship of the Blast Theory team culminating in the first public presentation of the background research and working concept for the project.

Blast Theory made this short video at the beginning of the residency.

Visit Robert’s page on the Blast theory website.

Images above by Open Studio participants. 

Developed with funding from