SAFE SPACE is a powerful augmented reality installation by Trinidad-born artist Miles Regis, presented at Lincoln Center's Josie Robertson Plaza as part of Lincoln Center Immersive series. This augmented reality installation transforms the plaza into a living canvas of animated painting and sound. Celebrating cultural diversity, unity, and self-expression, SAFE SPACE offers a moment of joy, reflection, and belonging in the heart of the city.

The Artwork

Blending painting, poetry, sound, and immersive technology, the work transforms the plaza into a digital sanctuary — what Regis calls "a paradise of sorts." Activated via smartphone, the experience surrounds visitors with floating eyes, pulsing color, and cascading symbols, offering a moment of reflection, freedom, and connection in the heart of the city.

The Process

EyeJack's co-founder, Sutu, collaborated closely with Regis, sharing his knowledge of paint in virtual reality over a 3D model of Lincoln Center. Together, they sampled brushstrokes and patterns from Regis's physical artworks to faithfully extend his signature style into the digital realm. The result is an immersive, emotionally resonant experience that celebrates cultural identity, personal memory, and the unifying power of art.

Safe Space - fabric swatch sampled from Miles Regis’s paintings for the AR brushwork: teal silk with gold cord embroidery, orange and brown floral panels

Safe Space - triangular textile swatch used as an AR paint texture: magenta satin with gold rose embroidery, turquoise ribbing and a hibiscus print

Safe Space - swatch feeding the digital palette: navy Greek-key pattern on mauve, edged with hot pink sequins and red crocodile-effect vinyl

Safe Space - swatch of purple chiffon over black-on-gold leaf velvet with a sequinned panel and lime green tab, scanned for Regis’s AR brushstrokes

Safe Space - close-up swatch of blue sequins stitched across blue cloth, one of the found textiles translated into the plaza’s AR paint textures

Accessibility

Designed with accessibility in mind, the experience includes thoughtful features to support audiences who are blind or have low vision. ARIA tags have been implemented throughout to support screen reader compatibility to accurately convey the content, while Lincoln Center developed a rich, descriptive audio description track — written by Madison Zalopany and narrated by artist Miles Regis — to bring the artwork to life through sound.

The App

Safe Space was designed as a pure web experience, using WebXR to deliver native AR quality directly in the browser. To begin, visitors are guided to the front of The Metropolitan Opera House (The Met) and taken through a short, gamified calibration sequence that prompts them to move and look around while the Visual Positioning System locks onto surrounding buildings. Once calibrated, the AR content is revealed.

Safe Space - phone showing the Lincoln Center Presents title screen, Miles Regis artwork behind a Play AR panel powered by EyeJack

Safe Space - the WebXR calibration screen, a purple eye guiding visitors to point their phone at The Metropolitan Opera House facade

Safe Space - the About the Artist panel in the web app, Miles Regis seated among spray cans in his LA studio below his yellow signature

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