Day 6 at the Google Cultural Institute. We had learnt about Google art project in Prof. Michelle Rogan’s session on entrepreneurship. Now it was time to visit the Google Lab.
The Google art project is an online platform where you can access high-resolution images of artworks. Started in 2011, Google has now partnership with over 300 museums around the world and a diverse portfolio of high resolution images from archived photos of the unification of the UAE in 1971 to impressionist paintings.
At the Institute, Pierre, a French Googler, introduced us the Google Art project on a giant interactive 65 sq.m. screen. We saw masterpieces like never before. By zooming on paintings, we were even able to spot plain canvas between paint brushes as well as the smallest paint cracks.
We also experienced Google Virtuality Reality (VR) with the Google Cardboard.
It was created by two Google engineers and a pizza box. Today, with the help of two lenses and a simple cardboard box you can access VR. All you have to do is to download the Google Cardboard App. and insert your phone into the Cardboard box. Pierre took us to the Palace of Versailles and a Paul McCartney concert.
20% Project:
Pierre also told us of the 20% project. Employees at Google can use 20% of their time to work on projects of their choice. “This is where the creativity and innovative talents come in” said Pierre… And this is how the Google Art project was born.
Amit Sood, an INSEAD alumn and the entrepreneur behind the Google Art Project, loved to visit museums when he was young but rarely had the chance to do so. Thanks to the 20% project, he and a team of 25% engineers were able to develop the Google Art Project and allow millions of people to explore museums across the world from a computer, a tablet or a smart phone.
Pierre loves working at Google because employees are constantly encouraged to think out of the box as well as pitch in and work on ideas – no matter how crazy they may seem.
Thank you Pierre for this really inspirational visit!