Talk to an Artwork Using Chatbots at MAMBA

The Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art (MAMBA) and BBDO Argentina have teamed up to allow gallery-goers than get closer to artworks than ever before using chatbots.

For Dialogue with the Artwork, BBDO have created a chatbot for Emilio Renart's Bio Cosmos sculpture. Art lovers who connect with it on social media can ask it questions about where and when it was made, what it is made out of, and other interesting facts about the large work.

Rather than just giving you facts, however, the bot has been programmed with a little personality. For example, in the video case study directed by Federico Bolla and Andres Galisteo of ALETA Media, a user sends the bot a message saying 'Looking good!' that the sculpture replies to saying 'They take good care of me ;)', with the winky face making it perhaps the first instance of a sculpture ever flirting with someone.

As well as providing a new way to provide visitors information rather than the traditional wall plaque or audio guide, it also explores a new side of chatbot technology. As BBDO Argentina CCO Ramiro Rodriguez Cohen noted, 'although chatbots are mainly used for client services and automatized assistance, in this case we tried to explore an emotional side of the tool...It reflects the dialogue that usually takes place intellectually when the visitor try to get something out from the interior of the art piece itself'.

shots cannot wait to hear what other works of art have to say. I for one would love to know what a Salvador Dalí melting clock has to say for itsself...

If this has raised your curiosity about chatbots, click here to see how KLM has created a emoji-based bot that gives you travel recommendations.