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Karlsruhe (dpa) - «STANDSTILL!»
The centurion's order is unmistakable.
One or two questions and one wrong answer later he orders: "SQUAT because you didn't know."
It all started almost romantically with a “Perfect Match” on the “My Object” app.
"It's like Tinder for museum objects," says the director of the Badisches Landesmuseum, Eckart Köhne.
From a selection of around 80 things, users can choose which ones interest them.
He wipes all the others away like with the dating app.
If there is a match, a dialogue begins.
As in real life, mutual interest is not a matter of course: not all objects are interested in a chat, reveals Köhne.
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The app is still in the making.
When the museum in Karlsruhe Castle can reopen after the corona lockdown, it should start.
By then, a new name should also be determined, says Johannes Bernhardt, who works as a digital manager at the museum and is responsible for the app with Christiane Lindner.
“My object” is just the working title.
Interested parties can then choose from various exhibits distributed across the museum.
Curators and citizens worked out the dialogues and gave the objects their own characters.
Some are more made for children, others for professional guests, and still others are primarily intended to be fun, say Bernhardt and Lindner.
It's about current topics like Corona, if you're interested in an aquamanile, a clay pot for washing hands.
The piece has an animal body but no head - so it asks which animal it is?
A hundred year old jar with preserved tomatoes reveals recipes for pickling.
And the dead legionnaire from the beginning, with whose tombstone you make contact, not only drills, but also explains the Latin spelling of numbers when in doubt.
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"The conversations have more content than what is written on the information boards," says Bernhardt.
And they are structured dramaturgically, so they should be more fun.
For example, those who start at home on the sofa will at some point be invited to a rendezvous in the museum after their match.
Questions on site then definitely require an eye for detail.
"So you should deal with the pieces yourself."
The texts are already written, the user only has a choice of answer options and no free text field.
Over time, however, the algorithm notices what type of objects you are interested in and what tone of voice you like in a conversation, explains Lindner.
Digitization in museums is - and not just since Corona - a big issue for houses.
It's not just about the digitization of collections, but also about developments such as apps or gaming in museums.
For example, the German Museum Association, of which Köhne is president, is committed to digital issues.
There are consultants for “digital storytelling”, for example, to tell stories with the help of new media.
And extra jobs are being created - Bernhardt and Lindner have been permanently employed at the Badisches Landesmuseum since last year.
A robot is also on the move there and serves as a contact for visitors.
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A wide variety of cultural institutions work together in the museum4punkt0 project.
The “My Object” app was developed here as part of a sub-project - originally for the Humboldt Forum in Berlin.
The code for programming should also be given to other facilities for individual adaptation.
The state museum was immediately interested, says director Köhne.
And because the implementation in Berlin was still going on, the Karlsruhe team were the first to start.
According to a guide on digital challenges for museums from the MFG Innovationsagentur Medien- und Kreativwirtschaft Baden-Württemberg, each museum has to decide for itself whether the use of an app is worthwhile based on different characteristics.
Basically speaking in favor of apps is that they arouse visitors' curiosity about the museum and serve as advertising, that they could help with mediation and address new target groups.
Digitization is no longer such an age-dependent topic, says Bernhardt.
"Games are part of socialization even for 40-year-olds."
“My object” is primarily about a new form of presentation, a playful approach, he explains.
"We asked ourselves: How can you make objects speak?"
Once a conversation has been held, it cannot be repeated - unless you restart the app from scratch.
Almost like in real life: said is said.
And the tête-à-tête remains confidential, says Köhne with a wink: "What happens in the museum, stays in the museum."
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210209-99-361546 / 2
Digital offer from the Baden State Museum
German Museum Association on the subject of digital
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Information about Museum4punkt0
Info about the app