SFMOMA launches SMS service to send artworks on demand

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has launched a new service called Send Me SFMOMA that allows users to receive images of artworks via text message. By sending an SMS to 572-51 with the words 'send me' followed by an adjective, noun, or emoji, the system automatically replies with a photo of a work from the museum's collection of nearly 35,000 pieces. The service was developed by the museum's digital communications team led by Creative Technologist Jay Mollica. Mollica explained on the SFMOMA blog that in an information-saturated world, the museum sought to create personal connections between people and artworks, offering a more complete experience of the collection. The project fosters an intimate, direct relationship between museum and visitor through an informal channel, while also introducing an element of randomness as the software interprets requests in real time, adding a surprise effect that makes each interaction unique.