I had the opportunity to visit the Mind & Machine art exhibition at the Vietnam Festival of Creativity and Design 2023, and one project that truly caught my attention was Sống Xa Ở Gần (Living Far Away, but Staying Nearby). This Augmented Reality (AR) map, created by Andrew Stiff and Becky Lu offers an interesting experience that I couldn’t stop thinking about.
The map invited me to explore life around the Kênh Tẻ Canal in Ho Chi Minh City, which separates two very different areas. In District 4, the canal runs through a lively, busy neighborhood with narrow alleys, street markets, and a rich history. It felt chaotic but full of energy. In contrast, District 7 was modern and organized, with wide, clean streets, upscale malls, and new developments, showing a wealthier, more planned side of the city.
To discover the stories behind these mapped areas, I need to scan the QR codes on the map. The AR features showed images of different spots along the canal and guided me to visit them. It brought the map to life, letting me see the locations and understand how the canal connects these two very different neighborhoods.
Some thoughts on the map’s navigation
The project did a great job showing how the canal connects District 4 and District 7, but I ended up randomly scanning all QR codes to learn about each place, which felt a bit inefficient.
As a local, I can easily spot the contrasts between the two areas, but for visitors, it might be hard to fully grasp the stories before scanning the codes. I think it would be more helpful if the map not only highlight the contrasts between the districts but also give visitors the option to choose which side to explore first.