His name is Guido
He’s charming, he’s informed, he’s robotic. He’s got a face that would melt a steel beam:
And he works at the Luxembourg Musée d’Art Moderne (Mudam) as a tour guide.
Yes, KPMG is proud to sponsor Guido, the Mudam’s star robot. When we first met the little guy back in June we just couldn’t resist his robot charms. If you’re lucky enough to meet him before he packs up and moves off in January, you’ll doubtless feel the same as we do about this one-of-a-kind guide. He is the realization of a team of programmers headed by Professor Patrick Hénaff of the Ecole des Mines de Nancy, alongside the vision of artist Paul Granjon, and the Mudam’s head curator Clément Minighetti.
Not only cute, but smart too
Guido—very appropriately—is part of the Mudam’s Eppur si muove exhibition. Eppur si muove is, according to popular mythology, what Galileo said upon having to take back his assertion that the earth orbits the sun: “And yet it moves.” The exhibition (which runs until 17 January 2016) focuses on the relationship between art and technology. There are machines and artwork from the 18th century up to the present—but it is Guido, himself an exhibit, who steals the show when he gives tours (completely unaided) introducing his various robotic and mechanical ancestors. His offbeat sense of humor has caused a bit of a stir:
Getting Guido set up wasn’t without its challenges. There are occasional connectivity problems requiring one of Guido’s programmers to come and save the day. Much to Guido’s chagrin, the Mudam’s thick walls make WiFi connections spotty and, to add insult to injury, he can’t even ride the elevator.
KPMG is proud to sponsor art and innovation in Luxembourg. While Guido is best equipped for academic lectures and anecdotal repartee, his robo-advisor cousins making headway in the FinTech world are programmed a bit differently. But who knows—maybe they could even learn a trick or two from our art-loving friend?
Be sure to visit the Mudam to see Guido in action! He’ll be there every Sunday at 2:00 pm until the end of the exhibition.
