3D holographs at Bengaluru museum marries tech and art

It's been 12 years since the celebrated painter Maqbool Fida Husain left the world but the Museum of Arts and Photography on Kasturba Road has brought him alive, thanks to holographic technology.

The world renowned artist, who was on self-imposed exile in Qatar till his death in 2011, not only gestures at you but also speaks to you in his holographic avatar at the museum.

The facility showcases some unique and rare statues and artefacts in virtual format, but they appear as real as the original ones. The holographic technology employed at the museum also brings alive dinosaurs, and takes you on a tour of any city, making you feel like you're really there.

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On Tuesday, Treasurer and Minister of Trade and Investment of Queensland, Australia Cameron Dick visited the museum's holographic display, which was made possible by a collaboration between India's OpEzee and Queensland's Axiom Technologies, both of which work on providing 3D holographic solutions.

Addressing reporters, Dick said Queensland, which is Australia's second largest state by geography and third largest by population in the country, is number one when it comes to innovation.

"We are doing many innovative things in our state. We're the home of many startups. And this is an example of the collaboration that exists now with the free trade agreement and the economic cooperation trade agreement that was signed by the Prime Ministers of the two countries (Australia and India)."

He said the agreement was the gateway to expanding trade and commerce between the two countries more than ever before.

According to the organisers of the event, Cameron Dick’s visit was aimed at exploring tie-ups between businesses in India and the state of Queensland, through the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA).

OpEzee purchased Axiom Holographics' software licences as well as their holographic equipment and sensors on a project-to-project basis and customised it to suit use cases in India to create innovative, interactive virtual experiences, the organisers added.

This technology can be used not only for entertainment purposes but also has applications in aircraft and space technology, the construction industry, vehicle designing and town planning, among other areas, they said.

The partnership between OpEzee and Axiom would bring to India cutting edge and innovative 3D Holographic Solutions as well as world-class visualisation services, OpEzee chief Mayank Manish said.