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AR mural in Vancouver looks to spark dialogue on mental health

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — You’ll need your phone to see it but a massive, augmented reality mural now occupies the space above a downtown London Drugs.

The image at Granville and Georgia Streets is actually made up of thousands of individual “pixels,” or individual photos submitted by donors to St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation

Matt Ilich is a member of the Future Leaders Committee with the foundation and he says the group felt this style of mural would be a good way to connect with people while continuing the dialogue on mental health. Each pixel was submitted by someone who made a minimum $5 donation. All the proceeds go to St. Paul’s mental health programs.

“What it’s made up of are individual pixels that people have submitted through their phone or online, and what we’re trying to do is raise awareness and support for mental health and programs offered through St. Paul’s Hospital,” he tells NEWS 1130.

Ilich says mental health has become even more of a topic as COVID-19 continues to create isolating situations, since people can’t see one another in person. Ilich describes the art as a way to pledge to others that someone is listening.

“What I see, really is a hand extending out of a window from someone who is kind of, faceless, to an ear, and they’re holding a flower. So how I interpret that – and I guess art can be interpreted many ways by many different people – but it’s, ‘hey, I’m reaching out for a little bit of help. Will you listen? Will you help out?'”

People are encouraged to submit photos that make them happy, but there seems to be one ongoing popular choice being passed on to the group.

“A lot of pictures of dogs. Like, puppies, so I guess that’s one thing that people have sought comfort in in the last year and a bit of dealing with COVID,” he says with a chuckle.

If you’d like to become part of the installation, you can learn more about submitting your photo by visiting the website.

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