The Art Gallery of Hamilton is going Beyond.
An exciting new initiative at the Art Gallery of Hamilton is enabling visitors to interact with pieces in the permanent collection like never before. Funded by the incite Foundation for the Arts and the H G Bertram Foundation, Beyond the Frame is a groundbreaking art-activation project that uses audio, video, and augmented reality to provide interpretive, sensory, and reimagined experiences to activate selected works from the AGH Collection.
By using your own smart phone or borrowing a tablet from visitor services, visitors can access features like video interviews with artists, audio commentary, music written specifically for Beyond the Frame, and preliminary sketches that were made during the creative process.
“Beyond the Frame provides access to exclusive features that unleash new dimensions in art at the Gallery,” says Ty Tekatch, the Lead of Media Production at the AGH. “
Tekatch enjoys watching how visitors react to the Beyond the Frame activations and engage with the content.
“When people first access these special features, you can see the ‘wow’ moment in their eyes. It’s a magical moment to watch visitors being totally surprised and captivated by what they experience. With Beyond the Frame, we’re using technology to tell the story of our permanent collection as we’ve never done before.”
In addition to being valuable as an education tool, Beyond the Frame also increases accessibility to works in the collection.
“Visitors who experience visual impairments can access audio descriptions of pieces,” explains Tekatch. “They can also hear artists speak about the creative process, providing a level of insight that was not as readily accessible in the past.”
In celebration of this remarkable project, the public is invited to attend the Beyond the Frame: Launch Party & Artist Panel, which will be held at the AGH on Thursday, March 27, 2025 from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. Guests will have the opportunity to explore 20 Beyond the Frame activations and enjoy an artist panel with Beyond the Frame collaborators Jeremy Greenspan, Simon Frank, Ravinder Ruprai, and Janice Reid.
“It’s a privilege being a part of such a groundbreaking initiative,” says Tekatch. “I’m excited about expanding Beyond the Frame to include more works in the future and exploring what’s possible with this technology. This is just the beginning.”
Beyond the Frame is generously sponsored by the incite Foundation for the Arts.
