Tolkien Illustrator John Howe Envisions Augmented Reality as the Future of Fantasy Art

Neuchatel, Switzerland, March 2026 -- In an exclusive interview filmed at his studio in the Tower of Fantasy (Tour du Fantastique) in Neuchatel, Switzerland, legendary Tolkien illustrator John Howe has shared his groundbreaking vision for the future of fantasy art through augmented reality (AR) technology.

John Howe, the Canadian-Swiss artist best known as lead concept artist for Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, sat down with Cybel'Art founder Pierluigi Chr. Orunesu to discuss how AR can breathe new life into traditional illustrations without compromising their artistic soul.

"Augmented reality is my profession -- except technically very traditional," Howe explained during the five-minute conversation. "Fantasy is a profession of the future through augmented reality." The illustrator, who has spent decades bringing Middle-earth to life through paint and pencil, sees AR as a natural evolution of the storytelling tradition rather than a replacement for traditional art.

During the interview, Howe outlined several ambitious AR projects he envisions for the Tower of Fantasy, a cultural landmark in Neuchatel that houses his studio and exhibition space. These include an AR dragon visible atop the tower through smartphone screens, augmented paintings that reveal hidden layers of depth, movement, and sound when viewed through AR devices, a holographic representation of Howe himself to welcome visitors during his absence, and a 3D-printed miniature tower with an AR-enhanced map card.

The interview, conducted in French with English subtitles, is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Kq1yEa0alTI

A dedicated showcase website featuring the interview with immersive design has been created at https://www.cybelart.life

Cybel'Art SA is a Swiss ArtTech company based in Neuchatel, Switzerland, and a certified partner of Real Illusions. The company specializes in creating immersive augmented reality experiences for cultural institutions, museums, and artists using the Icologram platform. Cybel'Art bridges the gap between traditional art and cutting-edge technology, making cultural heritage accessible through innovative AR solutions.

The Tower of Fantasy (Tour du Fantastique) is a historic tower in Neuchatel, Switzerland, that serves as both John Howe's studio and an exhibition space dedicated to fantasy art and illustration. More information is available at https://tourdufantastique.com

Cybel'Art SA
Rue du Seyon 10
2000 Neuchatel
Switzerland

Contact: Pierluigi Chr. Orunesu, Founder and CEO
Email: contact@cybelart.com
Website: https://www.cybelart.life
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Kq1yEa0alTI

Cybel'Art SA is a Swiss ArtTech company founded by Pierluigi Chr. Orunesu, based in Neuchatel, Switzerland. As a certified partner of Real Illusions, Cybel'Art specializes in creating immersive augmented reality experiences for cultural institutions, museums, galleries, and individual artists using the Icologram platform. The company bridges the gap between traditional art and cutting-edge technology, making cultural heritage accessible and engaging through innovative AR solutions. Cybel'Art collaborates with renowned artists including John Howe, the legendary Tolkien illustrator, to bring traditional artworks to life through augmented reality layers that add depth, movement, and sound to static illustrations.

This release was published on openPR.