AT&T partners with museums app Smartify to reimagine Monet’s water lilies for International Museum Day

Three of Claude Monet’s famous water lily paintings have been reunited as part of a unique digital experience on Smartify, the world’s most downloaded museums app. The interactive feature, presented by AT&T 5G, allows Smartify users to enjoy the trio of paintings side-by-side, as they were intended to be seen.

Users can also enjoy the beautiful scenes from Monet’s own perspective, with the paintings mapped to the pond in Giverny that inspired the French artist.

The experience was launched on 18 May for International Museum Day, which for over 40 years has celebrated the importance of museums as a “means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace”.

5G arts and culture from AT&T x Smartify

This initiative is the latest in a year-long program from AT&T and Smartify focused on demonstrating how 5G technology and augmented reality (AR) can enhance understanding of the arts, from anywhere.

Launched in February in support of Black History Month, the program showcases exciting VR and AR experiences, as well as specially commissioned video series for moments including Women’s History Month. Pride Month and an exploration of science and technology are among the upcoming celebrations planned for later this year.

Smartify has used its audio-visual storytelling, object recognition and other digital services as the platform for the experiences, working in partnership with US museums that include the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Getty, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the St Louis Art Museum and the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art.

Thanos Kokkiniotis, co-founder of Smartify, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with AT&T on this amazing campaign, which uses art to inspire and educate audiences on contemporary themes. We believe in the power of technology when it comes to immersive storytelling and making significant topics more accessible and relevant to today’s audiences.”

“Together with Smartify, we’re using our palette of technology resources to provide consumers and art enthusiasts with a new way to enjoy and immerse themselves in the world of art,” said Andrew Bennett, Associate Vice President, 5G Product, AT&T. “Whether it’s experiencing Monet’s famous works, or taking a virtual museum tour, the power of connectivity and AR make exploring art and artists possible from nearly anywhere.”

Smartify is the world’s most popular museum guide. It provides a digital platform and creates groundbreaking digital experiences for cultural organisations that drive audience engagement and generate revenue.

Smartify connects people to art. As a social enterprise, Smartify works in partnership with thousands of cultural organisations globally to bring their collections and the stories that make them special into people’s hands.

The experience can be accessed via Smartify’s mobile apps for iOS and Android.