Illustration has never been static in John Howe’s imagination. At the Tower of Fantasy in Neuchâtel, his drawings, maps and creatures already open onto other worlds. In the interview published in 2026, he considers augmented reality not as a break from that work, but as another way to carry the viewer further into it.
Extending an illusion
John Howe relates augmented reality to his profession, even though his practice remains deeply traditional. Illustrators have long used a still surface to suggest depth, movement and almost a sense of sound. A digital layer can extend that effort: it does not replace the drawing, but gives a visitor another way to enter the world it proposes.
That perspective speaks to Cybel’Art’s approach: making digital experiences more approachable, meaningful and human. Augmented and virtual reality are media for a meeting with an artwork, a place and the people discovering them.
An experience described as active
The original article says that visitors to the Tower of Fantasy can scan QR codes to unlock hidden layers in John Howe’s illustrations. This is the operational visitor experience described in the 2026 account: a fixed image opens a path of discovery on a screen. It does not claim to contain the artwork completely; it offers a personal way to approach and explore it.
The artist’s remarks also point to a productive limit. When he picks up a pencil, a kind of silence settles over the studio. Attention to the gesture, the time of drawing and the artist’s presence still matters. Technology can support that attention; it cannot take its place.
Announced ideas, not current availability
The conversation then considers several ideas for the Tower of Fantasy: an augmented-reality dragon above the tower, enhanced paintings, an interactive John Howe welcome hologram and a miniature tower with augmented-reality capabilities. These belong to the vision expressed in the article, not to a claim that products or experiences are currently available.
The distinction matters. The project describes a creative direction in which a story might gain movement, sound and new points of view, without confusing that intention with a confirmed delivery. Cybel’Art’s work offers context for the wider creative field in which this conversation sits.
The original publication identifies Cybel’Art as a certified Real Illusions partner. That wording is retained as a credit from the 2026 article. Beyond the tools themselves, the exchange returns to a clear idea: technology gains meaning when it helps people touch, explore and dream from human work.
Editorial adaptation of the article by Pierluigi Christophe Orunesu, originally published on Substack on 4 February 2026. Read the original article on Substack