Comparison

Unexpected Growth vs Elysium_AR

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality art experience
  • Geolocative installation
  • Site-specific artwork
  • Interactive coral reef
  • Environmental commentary
  • Dynamic visual changes
Features
Read 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.

About

Elysium_AR

Features
Read 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

Unexpected Growth1 screens
Elysium_AR3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Unexpected Growth ships an update every 6 weeks, Elysium_AR every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 3, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Unexpected Growth versus Elysium_AR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUnexpected GrowthElysium_AR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB136 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTamiko ThielDennis Rudolph

In-app purchases

None

Unexpected Growth

No in-app purchases

None

Elysium_AR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Unexpected Growth free?
Unexpected Growth is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Elysium_AR free?
Elysium_AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Unexpected Growth or Elysium_AR have ads?
Neither Unexpected Growth nor Elysium_AR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Unexpected Growth or Elysium_AR?
Unexpected Growth ships an update every 6 weeks, and Elysium_AR every 2 weeks. Most recently, Unexpected Growth was updated on October 3, 2026 and Elysium_AR on October 3, 2026.

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