Creating a digital concierge for an exhibition during Covid
Creative New Zealand
Overview
To solve the problem created by the travel restrictions during Covid, we created an Artificial Intelligence powered digital experience that was used by visitors at the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.
The Challenge
Travel restrictions due to the pandemic meant that attendees from Aotearoa and across the globe would not have access to the international exhibition. How might we turn travel restrictions into an opportunity for making the arts more accessible?
The Solution
In collaboration with the Arts Council of New Zealand, toi Aotearoa and Yuki Kihara, we created a virtual experience that opened access to the exhibition from anywhere. The web experience, which mimicked the exhibition gallery in Venice could be used at home, and the app allowed visitors at the Biennale to explore the art using our image recognition tool.
This was truly a unique project in concept and execution. It required teamwork, persistence, and a belief in what we were aiming to achieve in this challenging international context. We are proud of the results achieved – an expansive exhibition which attracted attention from international media and arts professionals.
Caren Rangi, Commissioner,
NZ at Venice Chair
