Heritage in Motion - Europeana

With an iPad in their hands and with headphones on, visitors are free to choose their own route through the church to discover the art treasures of the St. Peter’s Church. At 12 stops, along beautiful paintings and magnificent chapels, the iPad unlocks short augmented reality experiences. Visitors can step right into the painting ‘the Last Supper’ and discover everything about the figures in the artwork while standing between them. They can relive the great fire of 1914, or see the unfinished west towers being completed in a 3D model.

Every stop knows three stages. First, visitors get a virtual experience. For example, in the chapel of Proud Margaret, where the story of the popular local legend comes to life in augmented reality. Secondly, visitors get the opportunity to discover the items of their stop by focusing the iPad on one of the attributes in the church. A digital object label appears on the device, with more in depth information about that specific object. At last, every stop offers further information about the city of Leuven and the province Flemish Brabant. For example, in the chapel of Proud Margaret, visitors are referred to her statue and the street with the inn at which she worked.

The Mixed Reality experience Between Heaven and Earth, Discover the Last Supper by Bouts is the ideal starting point for discovering the city. By intertwining the past and present, a story is created that is meaningful for the contemporary visitor.

Quotes from press:

“This new exhibition is something that the people of Leuven can be really proud of: we’re showing world-class masterpieces from our own city, and we’re doing it in an innovative and interactive way.” - Mohamed Ridouani, Mayor of Leuven

‘With an iPad, you bring artworks to life. You are encouraged to look really closely.’ - Belgian newspaper De Standaard

In the opening weekend of The St. Peter’s Church in Leuven, more than 8.000 people visited the exhibition ‘Between Heaven and Earth’. The eye-catcher is ‘The Last Supper’ painted by Dieric Bouts, but also the innovative digital experience deserves a big applause.’ - Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws

picture descriptions:

picture 1: Dieric Bouts: ‘The Last Supper’

The triptych ‘The Last Supper’ by Dieric Bouts is one of the most important paintings of this famous Flemish master, that can still be admired in its historic setting in St. Peter’s Church, the place which Bouts painted it in the 15th century. Thanks to the augmented reality experience, visitors can literally walk around inside the painting. They can see the figures from up close and can almost touch the food on the table. They discover the secret of the masterpiece and what makes it so remarkable.

picture 2: Head of the Crooked Christ

This highlight combines religion and history. The Crucifix to which the head of the Crooked Christ belonged, went up in flames during the First World War. The head survived the fire because it was taken off for restoration. That's why the Head of the Crooked Christ, by coincidence, tells the story of this terrible event. When this scene is started, flames fill the screen. A few moments later, singed pages of ancient manuscripts and books from the University Hall swirl through the church. The famous library was one of the buildings that was on fire. Visitors can relive the great fire of 1914 that devastated Saint Peter’s Church and many other buildings in Leuven during the First World War.

picture 3: Chapel of Proud Margaret

The chapel of Proud Margaret tells the tragic story of the young Margret from Leuven. In 1255, her lifeless body was seen floating upstream in the River Dyle. She was murdered by villains the night before. The people of Leuven called her Proud Margaret and venerated her for her courage, fighting spirit and dignity. Her story is one of the best-known local legends. During the digital experience, visitors see Margaret magically floating in a flowing stream. A miraculous ambiance is created with heavenly light that surrounds her body. Her story can be traced in this chapel and in the city.

picture 4: Dieric Bouts: ‘The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus’

Another masterpiece of Bouts is ‘The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus’. Through this digital experience, visitors discover the story of Saint Erasmus and learn more about the Flemish Master. By activating the painting, mixed-reality shows several layers from the triptych. For every layer, the voice-over explains how it demonstrates Dieric Bouts’ mastery. In this way, we encourage visitors to look really closely and discover all details of the painting.

picture 5: Rood Cross ensemble

When scanning this monumental, oak rood cross ensemble, a mystical scene in mixed reality appears. Light particles emerge and candles seem to float in the distance and religious music begins to play. The actual cross hangs high above the ground. In the iPad tour, a 3D model drifts towards the visitor, so that it can be viewed from up close. Meanwhile, the voice-over points outs important details of the ensemble.