John Howe – Where Traditional Art Meets Digital Magic

At the Tower of Fantasy in Neuchâtel, legendary Canadian-Swiss illustrator John Howe opened the doors of his creative world to the public. Known worldwide for helping bring Tolkien’s Middle-earth to life as lead concept artist for The Lord of the Rings films, Howe represents a rare bridge between traditional drawing, mythological imagination and cinematic world-building.

Together with Cybel’Art and Real Illusions, this collaboration explores how augmented reality can extend illustration beyond the frame. Original artworks are no longer limited to paper, canvas or walls: through AR, they can reveal hidden layers, movement, sound, depth and narrative directly through a smartphone.

The project imagines several immersive possibilities: a digital twin of John Howe welcoming visitors when the artist is absent, a dragon flying above the Tower of Fantasy, augmented paintings that come alive, and a 3D mini-tower enhanced with AR to capture the spirit of the place.

For John Howe, augmented reality is not a break from tradition. It is a natural extension of fantasy itself a way to make invisible worlds visible, accessible and emotionally engaging. As he describes it, the experience feels like cinema placed within reach of your phone.

With this project, Cybel’Art demonstrates how icologram® and AR technologies can transform cultural venues, museums, festivals and artist studios into living experiences. The result is not technology for technology’s sake, but a new form of storytelling: one that honors the hand of the artist while opening the door to digital wonder.