Many Route 66 Centennial celebrations are about reviving and honoring the past — but Albuquerque’s Route 66 Remixed project also brings the celebrations firmly into the future. Featuring augmented reality, Route 66 Remixed invites visitors to travel through time as easily as going for a drive.
Aerial view of Mother: Moment by Noé Barnett and Travis Black, on the east wall of the 1955 Galles Motor Company building (currently UNM Arts Lab). Photo courtesy of the City of Albuquerque Arts & Culture.
The project — which is woven throughout Albuquerque at 18 different sites — showcases large-scale public art installations, site-specific digital art and more from local artists whose work speaks directly to Albuquerque’s culture, heritage and deep ties to Route 66.
“From the start, the vision for this project included murals and sculptures that would serve as vibrant touchpoints along the corridor,” says Diego Lucero, the Deputy Director of the City of Albuquerque’s Art and Culture Department. “We also knew we wanted to bring technology into the mix. That’s where Refract Studios came in — not only creating the augmented reality experiences that layer innovation onto tradition, but also collaborating with local artists through an invitational call to translate their artwork into this new medium.”
Jesse Littlebird's Petroglyph (2024-ongoing) parked in front of Littlebird and Thomas Christopher Haag's Buffalo Return to Route 66, on the west wall of El Rey Theater (c. 1941). Photo courtesy of the City of Albuquerque Arts & Culture.
The award-winning Refract Studios, a Santa-Fe based company, specializes in building enhanced experiences through creative technology.
Meow Wolf has also partnered with the City of Albuquerque for Route 66 Remixed, adding, as Lucero explains, “their signature vision for immersive and otherworldly art experiences.”
Visitors can explore individual sites at their preference or experience a tour of Route 66 Remixed with help from Albuquerque’s inaugural Poet Laureate Hakim Bellamy. Bellamy serves as the project’s road trip narrator and provides details about each site. Some of the sites in Route 66 Remixed include the ABQ BioPark Aquarium and Botanic Garden, the Guild Cinema, the Route 66 Visitor Center, Talin Market and 505 Central Food Hall.
To access the experience and learn more about the project, visit www.route66abq.com/explore/route-66-remixed/.
South view of Gael Luna's Mother Earth Cruise on the Rosenwald Building (c. 1910), southeast corner of the Route 66 Crossroads (4th Street & Central Avenue). Photo courtesy of Gael Luna.
