Intelligent art

Brazil – Ogilvy Brazil has created an interactive museum guide for the launch of IBM Watson in Brazil.

• The Voice of Art replaces pre-recorded audio guides at the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo with a Watson-powered system
• According to Claudio Lima, chief creative officer at Ogilvy Brazil, the campaign has driven a 200% rise in museum visitors

The Watson-powered guide enables visitors to ask questions about the artworks on display and receive detailed responses.

The Voice of Art gleans data from a variety of sources, including books, newspapers, articles, biographies and interviews, to create a library of answers to possible questions. Visitors can ask a range of questions on topics as diverse as art history, contemporary events and human behaviour.

Some 72% of Brazilians have never been inside a museum, according to a 2010 study from the Brazilian Institute of Economic Research, something Paulo Vicelli, director of institutional relations at the museum, believes may be linked to a belief that they only offer linear experiences. ‘Why are the public saying that they don’t have an interest in museums? One possibility is that they want to interact more with the art,’ he explains.

According to IBM, the company has been approached by brands looking to use the technology to enable consumers to converse with specific products through their smartphones.