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Tamiko Thiel
Tamiko Thiel

Tamiko Thiel: Gardens of the Anthropocene

Jun 25 – Oct 3 2016

Olympic Sculpture Park

Pedestrian Path

Tamiko Thiel’s augmented reality installation imagines the near future landscape of the Anthropocene—a new geologic time period that bears the imprint of human activity.

In Thiel’s virtual world, native plants grow and mutate in response to the earth’s changing conditions, adapting to the evolving climate and altering the landscape as we know it. Some of the transformations envisioned by the artist include bullwhip kelp flying high above sea level or street signs whirling in the air. While these images may seem surreal, they point to a dystopian future where the natural world has been irrevocably impacted by mankind.

This is not a static view, but an immersive and interactive environment. Using an app as her platform, Thiel invites you to move around the Olympic Sculpture Park and view it in its modified state through your smartphone or tablet. Discover a new epoch as plant life takes over the terrain.

Join one of our guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 12 pm and 1 pm.

About the Artist
Tamiko Thiel grew up in Seattle and lives and works in Munich, Germany. She is known for her augmented reality installations and her work has been internationally exhibited to great acclaim.

using the Layar app
smartphone sun screen

IMAGES: Concept sketches for Gardens of the Anthropocene, 2016, Tamiko Thiel, American, born 1957, Seattle Art Museum, 2016 Commission, image courtesy of the artist. Photo: Robert Wade. Image courtesy of the artist.


Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

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