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General
8 questionsWhat is Talking Paintings?
Talking Paintings creates AI-Powered Digital Humans for physical spaces. An artwork, historical character, expert, host or Brand character can speak, move and interact with people through a screen, kiosk, projection or custom installation.
Is it a chatbot or a website avatar?
Neither. It is built for physical spaces. It can connect to your collection or company systems, but the experience is a character people meet in person.
How is it different from an audio guide?
An audio guide plays what someone recorded. This answers the question the visitor actually has, in their language, and takes follow-ups. There is also nothing to hand out, clean or collect back.
How is it different from putting ChatGPT on a screen?
A general assistant answers from the open internet and will improvise. This answers only from sources you approved, declines everything else in wording you agreed, and never learns from the people talking to it.
Who is Talking Paintings for?
Museums, galleries, heritage sites, science centres and archives. Attractions, immersive shows and touring exhibitions. Brands, trade fairs, showrooms and visitor centres. Schools, universities, libraries, airports and public institutions.
Where is it already running?
Talking Paintings is live in more than 10 cities across Europe and Asia, including the Museum für Kommunikation Frankfurt, Schloss Esterházy, Burg Forchtenstein, Städtische Museen Heilbronn, Museum im Deutschhof, Frankfurt Airport, and Brand projects for Merck in Darmstadt and South Korea.
Who develops Talking Paintings?
Talking Paintings is developed by videoreality GmbH in Germany. The team has more than ten years of experience in cultural technology and has worked on over 100 museum projects and R&D projects co-funded through the Hessen Distr@l programme.
Can we see one before deciding?
Yes. You can book a demo and speak with one of our characters, or rent a ready-made character for a short-term installation.
Products & Interaction
12 questionsWhat is the difference between Lite, Lite Plus and AI?
Lite plays one prepared story, identical for every visitor. Lite Plus lets visitors choose from prepared topics and plays the matching recorded answer. AI writes each answer live from approved knowledge, so visitors ask in their own words and follow up.
Is AI always the better choice?
No. Lite works well when every sentence should be fixed in advance. AI is better when people should ask their own questions and explore topics freely.
Which one do most museums choose?
Both are in use. Lite suits a settled story in a permanent display or a touring show. AI suits exhibitions where visitors drive the conversation and the content will keep changing.
Can we start with Lite and move to AI later?
The character concept carries over. The rest does not: moving to AI means knowledge preparation, conversation design, AI setup, voice integration, testing and different hardware. Choose the format for the experience you want from the start.
Can the same character exist as both Lite and AI?
Yes. The concept, design and voice direction can be produced either way. What changes is the kind of interaction it is built for.
Can people speak or type?
Yes. Voice is the main form of interaction. Text input or push-to-talk can also be included depending on the project.
Can the character react emotionally?
Yes. Facial expressions, movement, voice and behaviour can be designed so the character reacts in ways that fit its personality and the conversation.
Can the character recognise gestures like waving?
Yes. With optional computer vision, the character can react to gestures, movement or someone approaching the installation.
Is the character 2D or 3D?
Talking Paintings characters are created as 3D Digital Humans and displayed on a screen, projection or custom installation.
Why does the character need to be 3D if the screen is flat?
3D allows natural movement, facial expressions, changing perspectives and more flexible interaction than a fixed 2D image.
Will the character still feel like the original artwork?
Yes. The character is developed around the visual identity and distinctive features of the original artwork while adding the movement and expression needed for interaction.
Are the voices real or AI-generated?
Both are possible. Depending on the project, we can use recorded voices, AI-generated voices or custom voice solutions.
Content & Control
11 questionsCan we control what the character says?
Yes. Lite and Lite Plus are scripted and signed off before launch. With AI, your team defines the approved knowledge, sources, tone, personality, language level, restricted topics and the fallback for anything outside scope. Nothing goes live without your approval.
What is character engineering?
The work of deciding what the character may say: sources, permitted and forbidden topics, tone, answer length, language level, what happens with a question it cannot answer, and how it handles provocative or repeated questions.
Can someone manipulate it into saying something else?
No. It answers only from your approved knowledge and declines everything else in wording you agreed in advance. It does not learn from visitors, so nothing anyone says to it sticks.
Could it say something offensive or wrong in our name?
That risk is what character engineering exists to remove. You define the topics it must decline, the tone, and the exact words it uses when it will not answer, then you test all of it before it goes public.
What happens when someone asks something off-topic or provocative?
It responds the way you defined in advance, usually by declining in character and offering what it can talk about. That behaviour is tested before launch.
What happens when it does not know the answer?
It follows the response agreed for the project. For example, it can say that it does not have enough information and suggest another topic.
How do you reduce hallucinations?
The character works from an approved knowledge base instead of the open internet. It can also be instructed not to guess when information is unavailable.
Does the character learn from conversations?
No. What people say does not automatically become part of the character's knowledge.
Can we test the character before launch?
Yes. Your team can test common questions, difficult questions, restricted topics and the way the character responds before it goes live.
What content can go into the knowledge base?
Approved exhibition texts, catalogues, archives, research, educational material, collection data, product information, FAQs, company information and other relevant sources.
Can Talking Paintings use our existing content and systems?
Yes. Depending on the project, Talking Paintings can use approved PDFs, documents, databases, APIs, knowledge systems, enterprise assistants and other relevant sources.
Languages & Accessibility
4 questionsHow many languages are supported?
Talking Paintings AI supports more than 32 languages and visitors can switch mid-conversation. Lite and Lite Plus speak the languages recorded during production.
Do visitors have to choose a language first?
With AI, they can simply start speaking and change language during the conversation.
Is Talking Paintings accessible?
The setup can include voice input, audio output, text input, plain-language content and different language levels. The right combination is agreed per project.
Do visitors need an app?
No. It runs in the space on a screen, with a microphone, speaker or touch interface. There is nothing to download.
Setup & Deployment
11 questionsWhat does an installation look like?
Possible formats include framed displays, interactive kiosks, exhibition plinths, large screens, head-and-shoulders characters and full-body Digital Humans, with microphones, speakers, push-to-talk buttons and optional sensors.
Is anything done to the original artwork?
No. The character is a separate display. The original object is not touched, altered or used as a projection surface unless a project specifically asks for that and your conservation team approves it.
Do you supply the hardware?
Yes. Displays, media PCs, microphones, speakers, cameras, sensors and the other installation components can all be included.
What does the venue need to provide?
Space, power, and a wall or surface for the installation. Everything else is planned as part of the project.
Can Talking Paintings run without internet?
Yes. Lite and Lite Plus can run offline. Talking Paintings AI can also run fully offline with an on-premise setup.
What is the difference between on-premise and hybrid?
On-premise processes everything locally on dedicated hardware, runs offline, and has no usage-based charges. Hybrid combines local hardware with selected cloud services for faster updates and broader language support.
What happens if the network or power drops?
An on-premise installation does not depend on the network at all, so a network outage changes nothing. After a power cut it restarts into its idle state and carries on.
Do we need cameras?
No. Cameras are optional. Voice, text and push-to-talk all work without one.
What does computer vision do, if we include it?
It detects presence, movement or gestures so the character can react when someone approaches. It does not identify anyone.
Can it work in a small or busy space?
Yes. Screen size, audio, microphones, controls and visitor flow can be planned around the room and expected number of people.
Can the installation move between venues?
Yes. The hardware and content can be prepared for temporary or touring exhibitions.
Privacy & GDPR
6 questionsIs Talking Paintings GDPR-compliant?
The system can be configured for strict GDPR and data protection requirements. With an on-premise setup, processing can stay local and the system can run offline.
What data is processed?
Every project defines what is processed, what is stored and for how long. Retention periods and analytics options are agreed before launch and documented.
Are conversations recorded?
Only if this is part of the agreed setup. Analytics can be limited or switched off completely.
Does computer vision identify people?
No. It can detect presence or movement without identifying individuals.
What information do we get for our data protection review?
We can provide documentation about processing, storage, retention and the technical setup.
Which setup do institutions with strict requirements choose?
On-premise, offline. It keeps processing local and removes the dependency on external cloud services.
Rental
7 questionsWhich characters can I rent?
Mona Lisa, Vincent van Gogh, Peter and Lily are available now, and more characters are being added.
What does rental cost?
From €999 per installation, per day. Shipping, on-site installation, travel, accommodation and additional services are quoted separately.
What is included in the rental?
The rental includes the character, prepared knowledge base, software licence, standard hardware, setup, testing, remote maintenance and technical support.
How is the rental price calculated?
The price is based on rental days and the number of installations. Three days with two installations, for example, count as six installation days.
Can we rent for a longer period or for several installations?
Yes. Longer rentals and multiple installations receive an individual offer.
Can a rented character be customised for our exhibition?
No. Rental characters come with their prepared knowledge base. A character built around your artwork, brand or exhibition is a custom project.
Can we rent first and commission later?
Yes, and it is a common way to start. Run the rental, see how your audience uses it, then decide on a custom production.
Projects & Pricing
6 questionsWhat does a project cost?
The price depends on the character, content, voice, languages, hardware, deployment and installation. Package ranges are available on the pricing page.
How long does development take?
It depends on the product and project scope. Lite usually takes less preparation. AI needs additional work for knowledge, conversation rules and testing.
What does our team have to provide?
For Lite: scripts or the material to write them from, plus final script approval. For AI: sources, documents, research, FAQs and archives, plus sign-off on knowledge, tone, boundaries and behaviour. For both: display, power and installation requirements.
Who does the installation?
We plan and support the technical setup, including display selection, media PC, audio and configuration, and we train the team that will work with it.
Can we start with one character?
Yes, and we recommend it. One character, one knowledge base, one location, then expand once you have seen how visitors use it.
Can we speak to an existing client?
Yes. Tell us which kind of venue you are, and we will put you in touch with someone comparable.
Rights & Updates
7 questionsCan we create a character from our own artwork or brand?
Yes. A Digital Human can be based on an artwork, historical character, expert, fictional character, product, mascot or Brand character, as long as the required rights are available.
Who owns a commissioned character?
Ownership and usage rights are agreed in the project contract. This can include character assets, software, content, voice rights and use at other locations.
Can we update the content?
For AI, yes, in the Character Editor: new sources, updated content, changed topics, no new production. For Lite, updates are a production step and can mean new scripts, recordings or animation.
Who can update the AI knowledge?
Depending on the setup, your team can make everyday content changes in the Character Editor.
Can we add languages or topics later?
Yes. AI projects can add new content and languages. Lite usually requires new recordings for additional languages.
Can we see what people are asking?
Optional analytics can show common questions and popular topics, depending on the agreed privacy setup.
What support is available after launch?
Support and maintenance are agreed for each project. Rental includes remote maintenance and technical support during the rental period.
Still have a question?
Ask us, or try it yourself.
Book a live demo to test a Digital Human in action, or download the package overview for detailed specs and options.