Image recognition technology allows the app to recognise the painting in a few seconds. Smartify then uses augmented reality to display information on the phone. It also allows users build up their own virtual collection of artwork by saving the information they discovered.
"It's about building up personal taste and a collection from different experiences, in a similar way one does with music on Spotify," Smartify co-founder Anna Lowe told Sputnik.
She explained that Smartify is especially useful for smaller museums and galleries which don't have the resources to set up audio guides for visitors.
"It's actually only the larger museums and 'blockbuster' exhibitions that can afford to create bespoke audio tours and have in-house staff to manage these sorts of projects. The vast majority of museums, galleries, fairs and other venues cannot offer accessible information to users, so the first benefit of a platform solution like SMARTIFY is that any art venue can have the technology, offering information to more visitors in more places."
"Our research showed museum audiences today often lack confidence to ask questions about an artwork, or worry about appearing uninformed. An app can help create a connection by offering on-demand, relevant information in a discreet way," Lowe said.
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