Impressionism on iPhone: the Impressionist Exhibition in Edinburgh

It seems as if there is an iPhone app for just about everything these days. Not to be outdone, the National Galleries of Scotland have produced an Impressionism art iPhone app for their Impressionist Gardens exhibition currently on show in Edinburgh until 17 October 2010.

The app, which applies to both the exhibition in Edinburgh and the associated activities at the Royal Botanical Gardens, contains basic information, including a calendar of events. There is a map of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh that will lead you to specific locations in the gardens that provide quite spectacular views.

For the exhibition itself, there is specifically produced audio and video pieces that enable exhibition visitors learn more about specific works of art on show. While these are great, they are limited given there are over 90 paintings on display.

Providing exhibition visitors with this sort of information for their iPhones is obviously one way in which art galleries start to make use of new technology, and should be applauded. Sadly, this particular app is quite basic, it is not that imaginative. It is little more than a iPhone equivalent of the once standard brochure. But, this is the Gallery’s first go at producing an iPhone app, and it is free. If you have an iPhone (or an iPad or an iPod Touch) and are able to get to the exhibition, it is better than nothing. Click here to go to the iTunes website and download the app free of charge.

If you have downloaded the Impressionist Gardens iPhone app and visit the exhibition in Edinburgh, do come back to this blog and tell us what you think.