Pygmalion’s Challenge

Our installation for the Parthenon is a mobile augmented reality game called Pygmalion’s Challenge. In June, we had the help of nine volunteers who installed the markers for our game. If you walk around the grounds, you will see the markers. They are aluminum square pieces with animal-shapes cut from each center. They are angled and set in the earth with plants growing in and around them. When we have the game ready for you to play, we will announce it on the blog, that way, you can download the free app from the Apple store before you come to the museum. Players can use an iPhone or Android device to point at the markers to trigger the game. The game is based on the treasure of the Delian League, a fifth-century association of Greek city-states who met in the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

Workshops were offered in September at Watkin’s College of Art and Design, click here for more information.

The main goal of our game is to unlock the sculptures in the garden, bringing the characters to life. Players must move in and around the grounds between sculptural markers and the treasury located in the back of the Parthenon to collect coins using their iPhone or Android. Players collect coins, as many as they can carry and then deposit them at the Parthenon. They then get a key and return to the garden to release colorful animated characters from the sculptures. Players will have the opportunity to pose with the virtual characters and share photos with friends on social media. We hope you come out to play. It is designed for kids, but I hope all ages will play.