Entry No. 19 — the Des Moines file — filed under: art
'Nature's Algorithm' Augmented-Reality Mural by Leon Keer
An 8,000+ sq ft hyper-realistic mural by Dutch street artist Leon Keer depicting Iowa landscapes playing on a wall of vintage televisions — point a phone running the free Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation app at it and the whole thing animates in augmented reality. Most passersby never realize the surreal AR layer is there.
The move: Both download the AR app, then stand back and watch the painted vintage TVs flicker to life through your phones — a free, slightly secret immersive moment you can chase with a walk through downtown.
📍 Before you go The mural wraps the west face of the 901 Grand parking garage in the heart of downtown's Walnut District, so the canvas is the structure you can park in. Viewing is free from the public sidewalk, no ticket or reservation needed. Download the Public Art Foundation app while you still have wifi, since you'll want your phone aimed at the wall, not fumbling with a download curbside. Come in daylight to read the hyper-realistic painted detail. Walnut District's pedestrian shops and restaurants surround you, and the Pappajohn Sculpture Park sits a few blocks west if you want to string together a longer downtown art walk.
- 📍 Downtown / Walnut District
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 901 Grand Ave (parking garage exterior), Des Moines, IA
Hours: Viewable anytime outdoors; AR effect requires the free Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation app. Slated to remain up roughly six years from its 2025 install.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: dsmpublicartfoundation.org · iowapublicradio.org
last checked: 2026-06-06