My Object was originally developed for the Humboldt Forum in Berlin. “It’s like dating mobile app Tinder for objects in a museum,” said Eckart Koehne, director of the State Museum.
Visitors will be able to download the app to their smart devices through the State Museum’s WiFi, before swiping left or right on images of the artefacts.
To begin with, the app will display approximately 80 objects from the museum’s collection. Guests can select the items that interest them, and discard the rest.
My Object users get ‘perfect match’
My Object will collect data about visitors through each interaction, and as it gets to know them better, it will start to create a personalised experience, or ‘perfect match’.
Visitors will enjoy an interactive dialogue with their chosen exhibits, and objects will come to life through the app. The exhibits and visitors need to match for the discussion, much like Tinder.
“The dialogues give you more than the information boards will,” said Johannes Bernhardt, digital manager for the State Museum.
The new app is a prototype, and My Object is a working title. Other museums have been invited to use the software, which debuts when the State Museum of Baden reopens in Germany.
Heartmatch app previously launched
Back in 2019, the High Museum of Art launched a similar app for art called Heartmatch, which also lets users swipe right and swipe left on artworks.
Heartmatch showcases the diverse collection at the High Museum of Art, directing visitors to their preferred works of art while collecting their data.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMOA) previously created a service that allows people to access art via text messages with Send Me SFMOMA. The Museum of London is engaging audiences through the ArchiveLottery.
Image: museum4punkt0
