AI brings art to life at Ghent's Museum of Fine Arts

The Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) Ghent and Lean Mean Learning Machine have teamed up for a unique AI project that brings art to life. It allows visitors to have conversations with paintings, the press release reads.

The principle is simple: visitors can converse with figures depicted in paintings from the MSK collection by pressing a button and speaking into a microphone. This gives them a deeper insight into the artworks and encourages critical thinking and questioning.

For this pilot project, two works from the MSK collection have been given a voice thanks to AI: visitors can now discover the life of a 19th-century Flemish farming family in Jenny Montigny's 'The Cowshed' (1907) or soon engage in a discussion with Nell Duerinckx, depicted by her husband Rik Wouters in 'Seated Woman by the Window' (1915).

The AI technology is based on advanced algorithms that understand the essence of the artworks and the people depicted. The system uses historical and cultural information from experts from MSK and Lean Mean Learning Machine. This allows the AI to simulate realistic and informative dialogues based on the history and context of the paintings.

"AI, with all its uncertainties, seems to be an exciting and promising step towards a new future for museums," says Manfred Sellink, director of the Ghent Museum of Fine Arts. "The MSK is closely following digital and technological innovations. We are exploring what can help us improve the visitor experience in the museum and online, or even offer entirely new perspectives," he added. This pilot project is the first step towards a more interactive and engaging museum experience.

 

#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO JONAS DHOLLANDER


Related News

Website preview
Ghent's Museum of Fine Arts honours history of friends and donors in new exhibition
The Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent (MSK) will open its newest exhibition, Among Friends, on Saturday. The museum is celebrating its 225th year and 125 years of collaboration with "friends" of the museum.
www.belganewsagency.eu
Website preview
Brussels' Magritte Museum reopens after six-month facelift
The Magritte Museum in Brussels is fully reopening after a six-month renovation, just in time to mark the 125th anniversary of the surrealist artist’s birth. To celebrate, a giant apple, a recurring symbol in Magritte’s work, has been installed on the building’s roof.
www.belganewsagency.eu

 

 

Get updates in your mailbox

By clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy.

About belganewsagency.eu

Belga News Agency delivers dependable, rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media. The information covers all sectors, from politics, economics and finance to social affairs, sports and culture, not to mention entertainment and lifestyle.

Every day, our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories, dozens of online information items, plus audio and video bulletins, all in both national languages. Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language.

For public institutions, businesses and various organisations that need reliable information, Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs.

Contact

Arduinkaai 29 1000 Brussels

www.belganewsagency.eu