‘Art Rate Monitor’ Measures Your Responses to Art

Which work will make your heart beat faster?

Art speaks to all of us in some fashion, even if we might not understand exactly what it’s trying to say.

With that in mind, the Art Gallery of Ontario and Zulu Alpha Kilo created the “Art Rate Monitor” to collect physical data as folks check out the venue’s assorted paintings, sculptures and installations.

Upon arrival, visitors place a heart rate monitor on their wrist and walk throughout the gallery. In real-time, the monitor interacts with beacons placed beneath paintings to glean a wealth of data. Such as: where you roamed in the gallery, which art you were viewing and various physical reactions. 

Within minutes post-visit, guests receive a custom email that breaks down which art increased or decreased their heart rates, where they spent the most time and even their preferred color palettes. 

Visitors are designated one of eight personality types: Seeker, Naturalist, Powerhouse, Dreamer, Connector, Luminary, Poet or Muse (nice one).

“Our brief was to address the increasing perception with newer audiences that art is intimidating especially to those who don’t consider themselves ‘art people,’” says Jenny Glover, CCO of Zulu Alpha Kilo. “We needed to help audiences feel more deeply connected to art and make the AGO a desirable, relatable destination. In finding a solution we wanted to completely innovate the art experience from a passive visual one to something visceral and physiological. Proof that art isn’t merely viewed, it is felt.”

The Art Rate Monitor is free to visitors of all ages and available until Nov. 19.

“The aim was to attract and convert a new art audience and this could include any age,” Glover tells Muse. “Each persona visualization was deeply researched and grounded in the artistic themes it was representing. We also worked to ensure every aspect was considered from the materiality of the persona such as glass, marble, bronze etc. to how each one animated to bring the qualities of the persona to life.”

CREDITS
Client: Art Gallery of Ontario
Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Chief Creative Officer: Jenny Glover, Brian Murray
Chief Design Officer: Stephanie Yung
Creative Director/Copywriter: Jeff Tyser
Creative Director/Art Director: Nikki Garrett
Associate Creative Director/Copywriter: Marco Buchar
Associate Creative Director/Art Director: Michael Romaniuk, Ivan Mallqui
Design Director: Jeff Watkins
Digital Design Director: Damian Simev
Clients: Ros Lawler, Kimber Slater, Suman Chahal, Sahana Nair
Account Team: Alyssa Guttman, Alexa Macdonald, Erika Dafoe
Chief Strategy Officer: Heather Segal
Executive Director, Comms Planning & Technology: Sean Bell
Strategy Team: Meredith Ferguson, Sarah Yim
PR (AGO): Laura Quinn, Andrea-Jo Wilson, Wendy So, Lexie Buchanan
Head of Media: Alicia Petralia
Campaign Manager: Tania Perales
Agency Executive Producer: Laura Dubcovsky
CGI Artist/Animator and Illustrator: Pierre Bourjo
Digital Producer: Kenneth Haz
Digital Interactive Producer: Kelly Sun
Web Developer: Kyle Collins, Jake Edwards
Interactive Technology Studio: WXM Tech
Creative Technologist: Damian Wright
Software Engineer: Dmitri Melamed
Project Manager: Sabrina Teles
Production House: Zulubot
Post-Production Company: Zulubot
Director of Post-Production and Operations: Sarah Dayus
Executive Producer: Adam Palmer
Zulubot Producer: Amy Groll
Senior Post Producer: Lena Hamady
Editor and Motion Design: Bergougnou Productions
Assistant Editor: Adrian Gluvakovich
Colourist: Ryan Ruskay
Motion Design: Miguel Natividad, Diego Romero
Director: Kyle Chappell
Photographer: Can Yuksel
Audio Engineer: Noah Mroueh
Production Artist: Aron Harris, John Rodrigues

Amy Corr

Amy Corr is senior editor of Muse by Clio.