The scope of the augmented reality tech application continues to be expanded as well as the number of apps and its users. There are training, teaching, presenting apps and even the apps returning stolen paintings to their frames.

A company, called Cuseum has presented the app visualizing artworks stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum on March 18, 1990 when two men, disguised as police officers, got the access to the exposition claiming to have received “a report of a disturbance”. That’s how 13 paintings, estimated to be worth around $500 million, were recklessly cut out from their frames and vanished without a trace. Despite the many investigations conducted since then, the crime came to be known as one of the biggest heists in art history is yet to be solved.

Due to the Apple’s ARKit based app called “Hacking the Heist” the Museum got its collection back as if the crime had never happened.

The guest is just supposed to point the smartphone at one of the stolen paintings and see a replica of it on the screen. Moreover, the app includes an audio guide for all paintings, giving a brief history lesson.

“Imagine if museums could clone their best guide or docent, have them available 24/7, and with the ability to speak multiple languages,” Brendan Ciecko, founder of Cuseum, said. “Our platform empowers museums to do that”, he added.

“Hacking the Heist” will be available for download on the App Store once the iOS 11.3 update gets released.

It’s clear that augmented reality can affect, enhance and push forward a lot of social and cultural processes. For instance, very soon Arcona will allow artists to create their own museums on the open air whenever and where ever they want and no one will be able to steal their paintings.

The Arcona Ecosystem being a platform designed to bring geospatial AR content and experiences to the masses will provide the users with the space for projects placement. And being built on a blockchain backbone it will protect all the digital belongings with the help of smart contract.

Discover more on the Arcona’s TG.