Unexpected Growth vs Elysium_AR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Unexpected Growth
Experience an augmented reality art installation on a museum terrace. Explore a coral reef made of plastic waste that reacts to your presence and environmental changes. Witness the impact of human interaction on digital art.
- Augmented reality art experience
- Geolocative installation
- Site-specific artwork
- Interactive coral reef
- Environmental commentary
- Dynamic visual changes
Read full descriptionHide full description
"Unexpected Growth," by Tamiko Thiel (with /p), is a geolocative, site specific augmented reality art installation commissioned by the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. It premiered in the exhibition "Programmed: Rules, Codes, and Choreographies in Art, 1965–2018," from September 28, 2018 - April 14, 2019. To experience it, download the „Unexpected Growth“ app to your own smartphone, go onto the Whitney Museum 6th floor terrace and look around the terrace in the display of this app. You will find yourself surrounded by a coral reef, as if the sea water levels have risen to inundate the entire Whitney Museum under water. Occasional waves seem to sweep the corals back and forth - they have become mobile, to better respond to changing climate conditions. In nature, many corals are self-similar structures following simple, repetitive rules of growth, which can often be described as mathematical „Lindenmayer systems.“ Here, you can see that the corals are forming these Lindenmayer systems out of plastic waste. Is this our future, as plastic waste becomes more numerous than the fish in the sea? Construction and use of smartphones is also a factor contributing to global climate change. As more and more visitors view the corals at the Whitney, their colors slowly bleach to white. Only after many hours of rest from the mediated human gaze will the corals regain their vibrant colors.
Elysium_AR
Read full descriptionHide full description
This App allows you to see the Augmented Reality of Dennis Rudolph's painting and enter Elysium at Flock Of None, Berlin. How to use: 1. Open the App 2. Allow camera usage 3. Turn off the silence mode of your phone 4. Turn up volume to max 5. Scan the paintings 6. Move around to fully experience the AR artwork
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Elysium_AR at every 2 weeks against Unexpected Growth's every 6 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Unexpected Growth ships an update every 6 weeks, Elysium_AR every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Unexpected Growth | Elysium_AR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (8 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 64 MB | 136 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tamiko Thiel | Dennis Rudolph |
In-app purchases
Unexpected Growth
No in-app purchases
Elysium_AR
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Unexpected Growth free?
Is Elysium_AR free?
Do Unexpected Growth or Elysium_AR have ads?
Which is updated more often, Unexpected Growth or Elysium_AR?
Other comparisons















