For the first time in Washington, D.C., experience the poetic beauty of swirling cherry blossoms anywhere, anytime. Timed with the start of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, this augmented reality (AR) artwork from acclaimed digital artist Tamiko Thiel (Japanese American, working in Germany) will be available across the DC region through the free AR app, ARpoise from March 20 to April 30. Download and look through your smartphone’s or tablet’s screen to see your surroundings transformed into a meditative experience honoring the exquisite and fleeting beauty of spring’s cherry blossoms, accompanied by a meditative variation of the Japanese folksong “Sakura.”

Thiel’s related work ReWildAR, created with her collaborator /p, is currently on view at the FUTURES exhibition at the Smithsonian’s Arts + Industries Building. This augmented reality experience turns the building into a growing future wildflower meadow, envisioning the future city as a thriving ecosystem for nature.