Smartphones technologies are one of the great disruptors of our generation. They are constantly buzzing with no rhyme nor reason, receiving email offers, social media updates and even the occasional phone call! Last week Sydney Culture Walks App released an updated App that utilises proximity technologies to alert you to the presence of cultural landmarks.
Working in collaboration with the City of Sydney, BrandCulture, Meld Strategies and Beaconmaker explored how the use of such technologies (Bluetooth, QR codes and NFC) will augment the user experience, delivering proximity based mobile messaging and narratives. The first of its kind for the City Arts Program, this pilot will improve the user experience by identifying the location of public art installations and deliver personal stories of the Artist.
The Sydney City Art Program is aimed at increasing awareness of our cultural layer and to raise the profile of art around the city. The most recent unveiling is the sculpture – YININMADYEMI, Thou didst let fall by Artist Tony Albert, a major project within the City of Sydney’s ‘Eora Journey’ program, launched on March 31 2015.
Strategically placed beacons around the perimeter of Hyde Park push messages with the artworks location and offers the user an audio and visual narrative. The future of this technology is imminent, a further roll out of beacons to identify 250 public artworks across the city will give rise to experiential design and exploration without the need for additional signage cluttering our cityscape.
