DIY museum tours with new art-identifying app

A free app, SMARTIFY works in partnership with a number of galleries and museums to provide personalized digital tours of the artworks.

Using augmented reality and advanced image recognition technology, the SMARTIFY app lets museum goers scan pieces of art to uncover a detailed story about its provenance and context. Created to expand upon and personalize the guided tours already offered by many galleries and museums, the app allows users to save their favorite artworks in a personal digital collection. The app currently works with the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Accessible Art Fair in Brussels, Los Angeles’ Laguna Art Museum and London’s Wallace Collection and Sculpture in the City.

Visitors who cannot find a favorite artwork on the app are encouraged to contact the SMARTIFY team, who will add the piece to the app if copyright laws allow. SMARTIFY is available for iOS and Android, with multiple language guides and more in development.

Projects around the world are working to make art more accessible and immersive, from 3D replicas of famous paintings for the seeing impaired to Google Cardboard interactions with Renaissance masterpieces. How else could galleries and museums create technology-based, visitor-friendly experiences?