Explore the National Gallery with an app when it opens next year

Artist’s impression of the support trees and roof above the smaller Supreme Court dome at the National Gallery Singapore. -- PHOTO: NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE
Artist’s impression of the support trees and roof above the smaller Supreme Court dome at the National Gallery Singapore. -- PHOTO: NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE

SINGAPORE - Art lovers will have an interactive experience when the National Gallery Singapore opens next year in November along the Padang, taking the place of the former Supreme Court and City Hall.

It will be the first museum in Singapore that provides visitors with information on its artwork and features through a mobile application that tracks visitors' locations.

Information will pop up on the app when visitors reach a particular location, and visitors can use the app to plot their journey through the 60,000 sq m museum, which will house artworks from 19th- and 20th-Century Singapore and South-east Asia.

The museum tied up with technology firm Accenture to develop the app. The Accenture Analytics Innovation Centre will also help the museum to analyse data from its visitor arrivals and look for insights into visitor patterns and preferences.

National Gallery Singapore's chief executive Chong Siak Ching said in a statement on Wednesday: "The use of digital technologies will enable the Gallery to transform the visitor experience to one that is participatory."

"As visitors learn about our artworks and programmes, they are able to share their stories with friends through our app via social media, creating dialogues about their experiences with art," he added.

Accenture Digital's group chief executive Mike Sutcliff said: "This is a truly exciting example of digital transformation - taking a traditional business model that's been around for centuries, and reimagining it to meet the evolving needs and expectations of customers."

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