17 Sep 2018
Google Arts and Culture Art Selfie released worldwide
BY Luke Cloherty
Android users worldwide can now find their fine art doppelganger as the Google Arts and Culture app's Art Selfie feature has been released across the globe.
Art Selfie allows users to take or upload a selfie, which is then matched to its closest portrait subjects with varying degrees of likeness on a percentage scale.
The app also lets users take a virtual trip to museums, galleries and other locations as Google Arts and Culture has teamed up with more than 1,600 museums, galleries, and institutions around the world to make their exhibits available for virtual tours.
The app was released in January but was then only available in the US. That release saw a number of high profile US-based celebrities uploading their art history lookalikes, however, now users across the world will be able to see if they match up to a particular subject.
"We're always trying to figure out cool and interesting ways to get people talking about art and this was one of them," Google spokesperson Patrick Lenihan told The Washington Post.
As well as customising searches with colour and time-period filters, it can use location services to find museums and cultural events nearby. The app also lets users zoom in on artwork and has a VR offering. Similarly to the Smartify app, it can recognise artwork via a phone's library and offer information about that piece.
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