It’s already a pretty great time to be a couch-bound art lover, and this summer the gallery experience is getting even more futuristic—because anyone with a working Wi-Fi connection will be able to sign up to pilot light- and camera-clad robots around the Tate Britain late at night, offering a self-guided tour with a drone’s-eye-view. The “After Hours” program is the winner of the very first IK Prize, which was created to foster concepts that use digital tech to get folks enjoying art.
A project which will allow remotely controlled robots to roam the Tate Britain gallery after hours has won the inaugural IK Prize. Winning trio Tommaso Lanza, Ross Cairns and David Di Duca – dubbed The Workers – will receive £70,000 to turn their idea into reality. The prize celebrates an original idea using digital technology to give visitors a different view of art. Judge Jimmy Wales called the winner “exciting and original”. Chosen by a panel of experts – including the Wikipedia founder – the winning project, After Dark, is an online experience that will allow people all over the world to explore Tate Britain at night.
