ArtWorkingWords — a conversational app for artists and art lovers
Written by Katie Luxton, one of a team of young developers who have worked alongside volunteer professional developers to build the app from scratch in just under 12 weeks, working 10 hours per week.
What is ArtWorkingWords?
ArtWorkingWords is an app that allows the user to give feedback to the artist directly which is then correlated into a report but also allows the artist to speak directly to the audience via a recording made especially for the art piece.
What does ArtWorkingWords Do?
The app works by scanning QR codes related to art pieces, the app then redirects you to the link which will then show you some information and give you an option to listen to the recording that the artist has made especially for the audience of the art piece. It will also give you an option to record your thoughts about the art so that the feedback can be used to better inform and inspire the artist.
Why did you make this app?
The reason that this app came to be was mainly to further include the audience in the artist’s process so that art galleries might be able to attract a larger audience because it appeals to not just art critics but the average everyday person. Cycles, where the artist works on the feedback from the audience or, is inspired by it and then the audience communicates to the artist what they enjoy about the art piece, will also help to build a larger community It will attract both the audience of the technology industry as well as the art industry, modernizing the gallery viewing process. Instead of looking at the pictures on the wall without any input, it is more inclusive for the audience.
Also, the making of the app has provided an opportunity for five young people to experience working in a project team, to build their skills and to raise their levels of confidence.
The Journey
The futureCoders team began work on the 15th of June, an uphill battle against time and with a tremendous effort the app was to be finished before the 15th of September. A mere three months to be able to scan, react, record and deliver information surrounding the art in the gallery. The programmers were all different levels, ranging from ‘having never touched coding before’ to ‘doing it as a school subject’. The first few weeks were the less experienced coders getting used to the programming languages and some of the more experienced revisiting coding languages they hadn’t used in a while. Whilst it consisted mostly of educational content it was the foundation of what would be built. With assistance from the more experienced team members, the team began to work on the app working through problems with the QR codes and the React App. Halfway through the futureCoders team was invited to a Festival of Code in London where the team got to meet children who were interested in programming and help with the children’s projects whilst also working on the ArtWorkingWords app. After the festival various artists began to drop in to be recorded talking about the art and to the audience, work began to speed up at this stage as the team got closer and closer to the due date to exhibit the Art Working Words App. Having a half working model by the 1st of September and then sorting out a lot of the bugs that were discovered in the testing phase, the app was ready to be used well in time for the Duende Art Exhibition.
Where can I go to see this App in action?
The app is going to be in use during the Duende Art Exhibition that is going to be held at the Halpern Gallery in Chatham between the dates of the 20th of September and the 25th of September. You can check the times by clicking on the link here: Duende Exhibition
What if I can’t get to the first exhibition?
The first exhibition will not be the last do not worry, the app will also make a brief appearance at the ‘Defining Worlds’ exhibition in the Halpern gallery. The times and dates for that exhibition can be found here: Defining Worlds Exhibition
For further information concerning the ArtWorkingWords app please contact:
