
Magnus: Shazam for Art - bookofjoe
http://www.magnus.net/
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gaogao
Curious how it works on modern art like
[https://www.moma.org/collection/works/80103](https://www.moma.org/collection/works/80103)
(a solid blue painting)

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convery
I mean, in post-modernism then exactly everything is art. So there's little
point in including it as a category..

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abathur
Just here to take you way-too-seriously and promote a different way of
thinking about art :)

Art is an experience, not an object.

Reflecting on an object can help you find an art experience. Some people set
out to create special objects designed to help others find an art experience.
It's fine to call these art-objects. Other people set out to create
performances that help others find an art experience.

Despite the absence of an artist or art-object, some people might have art
experiences when they watch a sunset, look through a microscope, or have their
understanding turned on its head by an unexpected-but-confirmed result in a
dataset.

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twiceaday
The problem I have with modern art is that it baits the viewer into
'experiencing art' with tricks; by exhibiting the work in exclusive places in
fancy ways, putting a long-winded placard about the artist or the piece,
attracting certain kinds of people to the events, and creating value around
'getting it.' This context enhances so well that it can enhance nothing into
something. It is interesting that it can do that, but to me it was interesting
once, then I understood.

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abathur
I feel a little misread, but that might be my fault. I'll try to expound...

\- If you find that engaging with an art-object or art-performance--or even
entire categories of them--doesn't help you find an art experience, it's fine
to ignore them.

\- If you find placards d(e|is)tract or annoy you, it's fine to ignore them.
If you find the thoughts on a placard more interesting than the nearest art-
object, it's fine to focus on it. If you find it more interesting to write
your own placards and post them on Twitter, that's also fine. It's also fine
(well, with _me_ , but perhaps not security...) to print them out later,
return to the gallery, and post them next to the work. It's fine to read the
placard and decide to dismiss it because you have more interesting
interpretation than the artist.

\- If you find it more interesting to sit and imagine what other people are
thinking as they browse the gallery, that's also fine. If you're more of a
people person, it's also fine to ask someone else what sense they make of a
work. It's also fine if you don't give a shit what they think.

\- If you find the gallery's infrastructure or air-quality-monitoring
equipment or security system more interesting than the art-objects it
contains, it's fine to consider them deeply. It's fine to ignore anyone who
notices and thinks you're a rube. It's fine to reflect on how weird people are
if someone else walks up beside you and also deeply ponders the same piece of
infrastructure. It's fine to come back another time and stick a placard next
to it.

\- If you find it surprising or perhaps even galling that someone created an
art-object or art-performance, it is fine to accept that it may help other
people find an art experience, or accept that it may not be very good at
helping any people find art experiences. It's also fine to reflect on why and
how it affects you. It's also fine to wonder if the artist is mocking
something or someone. It's also fine to wonder if whoever selected thee work
got the joke or not. It's also fine to go home and make your own art mocking
something you find galling.

\- It's fine to avoid conspicuously pretentious events, venues, and people.
It's also fine to go, observe, and make art mocking them. It's also fine to
go, and see if any of them spend time pondering the doorstop you stuck a
placard next to. It's also fine if it helps some of them have an art
experience, whether they get the joke or not.

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buro9
The Android link appears to be broken in the UK... does the link work
anywhere? Or is it still waiting to appear on Android?

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nikolay
It is broken everywhere...

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soylentcola
Doesn't seem to be in the Play Store either. Searching "Magnus" turns up other
apps with similar names and "magnus.net" returns another art app followed by
more like the first search.

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danmg
Didn't Google Goggles do this already?

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bookofjoe
Google Lens + Wescover: [https://www.wescover.com/blog/2019/07/03/press-
release-wesco...](https://www.wescover.com/blog/2019/07/03/press-release-
wescover-and-google-lens-change-the-way-we-discover-art-designs/)

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riffraff
I'd almost install it to see if magnus-the-app would recognize magnus-the-
artist[0]

[0]
[https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/magnus.htm](https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/magnus.htm)

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n0mad01
hm. what could the strategy of roi be there?

\- data mining/db of the locations of plenty of artworks?

\- mining aided search for new kids on the artblock?

\- finding lost/stolen artworks?

\- what about simple copies?

i have no real clue ...

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flog
If you can recognize art then you can recognize posters/ads. That would remove
the need for any QR code or machine readable printable element.

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nick_
Alternative app name:

"Not Banksy"

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inson
Interesting to see how it works for black square by Kazimir Malevich

