The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is using mobile technology to inspire visitors to participate in the Moore at Kew exhibition, a landmark installation of 28 large-scale bronze works co-curated with the Henry Moore Foundation, and sited within the unique World Heritage Site landscape.
Not only will visitors take away the experience of viewing the monumental, iconic, sculptures, they are also given the chance to learn about Moore, his art, his thoughts on nature and his legacy, via their mobile phones. Moore on Your Mobile allows visitors to eavesdrop on scientists, art historians and others discussing the artworks and their relationship to their surroundings.
Podcasting company FlyPod, which specialises in innovative audio content for the cultural sector, has produced a series of conversations in front of the sculptures with experts on Moore, botany, photography and art for visitors to enjoy through their mobile phones. Many of the pieces feature conversations with people who worked closely with Henry Moore.
The Storacall platform which enables visitors to enjoy the audio guide on their mobile was created by X-on, which also provides a reverse SMS billing service that visitors can use to pay for the tour. The audio content is also available as a free MP3 download from the Kew website.
A special Moore at Kew microsite has been commissioned to present extensive information and a full guide to the works within the exhibition. Using an interactive map to plan their visit, users can zoom in to detailed profiles that bring each sculpture alive. They can also take advantage of image slideshows, audio guides and leave their own comments about the sculptures.
To celebrate the exhibition, Kew is collaborating with photo-sharing website Flickr to display a showcase of visitors photography on the Moore at Kew website. Kew is asking the public to take inspiration from their visit and share their photographs of the works in the unique surroundings on the site. People can upload their photos to the Mooreatkew Flickr Group. Kews photo showcase is not just open to those who make it through the gates however. A second category takes its subject from Moores own source of inspiration: nature.
Every thing, every shape, every bit of natural form anything you like, are all things that can help you make a sculpture he once wrote. 10 images are featured each week on the showcase on the Moore at Kew website. Once a season (autumn, winter and spring), we will pick our top-20 images, and then right at the end well select a final top-20. The Photo Showcase can be found here.