by Rosli Mansor
The Taiping Heritage Art Trail, which highlights the theme of the Heritage City through murals, is equipped with the latest technology in ‘augmented reality’ (AR).
According to Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) Chairman, Khairul Amir Mohamad Zubir, the addition of AR-Mural technology is able to provide uniqueness and special features.
He said the murals were painted at two main attraction locations, namely the Jalan Sultan Mansor Building and Taiping Zoo & Night Safari (ZTNS).
“AR is a combination of interactive digital elements such as pictures, sounds, animations, 3D models and interactive elements; into our real world environment.
“The Taiping Heritage Art Trail project is organised by Syarikat Graffite Management in conjunction with the celebration of Taiping’s 150th anniversary in 2024.
“Grant funds were obtained from Arts For All Seasons (ArtsFAS), sponsored and channeled by Yayasan Hasanah to make this project a success,” he said in a statement last night.
He said the two mural paintings were realised by three local artists who have more than 10 years of experience in the field.
“In the past, large paintings using paint or spray on the walls of buildings or certain areas were seen as an act of vandalism.
“It’s because it seems to spoil the view of a location. But now the mural painting is seen as the latest style to attract the attention of the people who visit it,” he added.
He added that until now the city of Taiping has had nine murals with the theme of Heritage City.
In the meantime, Khairul Amir said that his party is also targeting the arrival of 1 million visitors to ZTNS for this year.
“Last year, ZTNS received a total of 842,722 visitors at the Taiping Zoo (morning) and 125,017 for Night Safari visitors (evening), making a total of 967,739 visitors.
“This number is the highest since the establishment of ZTNS;MPT aims to have 1 million visitors this year, in line with the wishes of the Menteri Besar of Perak in preparation for Visit Perak Year 2024,” he said.
