Oakland Museum Launched Augmented Reality Exhibit
The BeHere / 1942 exhibit uses digital reenactments to visualize the forced removal of Japanese Americans.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Historical
Live Poll
Do immersive art exhibits help your community better understand local history and past government actions?
The Oakland Museum of California opened an immersive augmented reality exhibit that explores the 1942 incarceration of Japanese Americans. Artist Masaki Fujihata created the project using historical photography from Dorothea Lange and Russell Lee.
Why it matters
The exhibit allows visitors to visualize the historical removal of community members at the specific locations where these events took place. It highlights a painful era triggered by Executive Order 9066, which forced thousands of families to leave their homes.
Approximately 1,800 Japanese Americans were removed from Oakland, with 1,494 sent to the Tanforan Assembly Center. Only 906 individuals returned to the city following the war, while survivors later received $20,000 in federal reparations.
The players
Oakland Museum of California
This institution is a major cultural center that documents the history, natural science, and art of California.
Masaki Fujihata
He is an artist known for creating immersive installations that utilize augmented reality technology.
Dorothea Lange
She was a prominent American documentary photographer best known for her work during the Great Depression and World War II.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
He served as the 32nd President of the United States and signed the executive order that authorized the incarceration of Japanese Americans.
Ronald Reagan
He served as the 40th President of the United States and signed the legislation providing reparations to surviving internees.
The details
Using tablet devices, visitors can view digital reenactments of families waiting for buses layered over the museum's physical plaza. The installation bridges the gap between historical photography and modern technology to recreate the atmosphere of 1942.
Timeline
May 7, 1942: Families departed Oakland for the Tanforan Assembly Center.
September 18, 2026: The BeHere / 1942 exhibit opened at the museum.
October 17, 2026: Pop-up scenes from the play Last West will be staged.
December 27, 2026: The exhibit is scheduled to close.
Culture Shift
This exhibit follows a growing trend of using immersive technology to confront historical trauma and institutional injustice. It represents a significant departure from traditional static museum displays by forcing direct engagement with the physical sites of historical events.
Visitors can experience a unique integration of technology and history that changes how they perceive local public spaces. The exhibit requires guests to spend time navigating the museum plaza with provided tablets to view the digital reenactments.
The takeaway
The installation highlights the importance of keeping local history accessible through modern technological lenses. By visualizing past events in physical locations, the exhibit helps residents better understand the scope of local displacement during the war.
What happens next
Pop-up scenes from the play Last West will be staged at the museum on October 17, 2026.
Further reading
For more information on local historical preservation, explore the Historical section of our site.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Oaklandside.
Live Poll
Do immersive art exhibits help your community better understand local history and past government actions?
