So this is awkward: We are one of two states – along with Texas – unable to access the museum-selfie app that has gone viral this past week.
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According to the Chicago Reader, the Google’s Arts & Culture app has been available since 2016 but it didn’t climb to the app chart’s number one spot until it released the new feature titled “Is your portrait in a museum” where you upload a selfie and Google scans its curated archives of gallery as well as museum collections to match your face with a classic work of art. Cool right? Yea, if we could use it.
https://twitter.com/search?q=google%20selfie&src=typd
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To make matters even cooler, the app also generates a side-by-side graphic as well as a percentage match, according to the Reader. Since Monday, social media has been overwhelmed with people’s portraits next to iconic pieces which is really awesome but hey, Chicago wants in.
https://twitter.com/search?q=google%20arts%20selfie&src=tyah
So what’s going on exactly? You can still download the app but the museum-portrait feature is not available yet, according to the news outlet along with several other Chicagoans. According to TechCrunch, the selfie-feature is still experimental and for some odd reason is blocked in certain regions — which of course, include ours.
“Google declined to comment when we asked about its rollout intentions for the feature,” said reporter Natasha Lomas, according to the Sun-Times. “So if you’re really desperate to try it out then you could try signing up to a (reputable) VPN with a US exit node to workaround the region-block.”
https://twitter.com/search?q=google%20arts%20selfie&src=tyah
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But if that doesn’t work, why not just do it yourself later today?
It’s Museum Selfie Day AND the Art Institute is free every weekday for Illinois residents – so why are you still moping? Go out there, take your selfie and then share it with us – we want to see YOUR skills in action.