Unveiled on Tuesday, this pioneering project allows visitors to converse with 20 sculptures in the gardens of Versailles using conversational artificial intelligence.

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20 Talking Sculptures in the Gardens of Versailles

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After months of preparation, Ask Mona has launched a landmark partnership with the Palace of Versailles and OpenAI. This collaboration enables visitors to speak directly with statues and fountains in the gardens, uncovering their history in an interactive and engaging way.

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Twenty works — including the giant of the Enceladus Grove, the Latona Basin, and Milo of Croton — have been brought to life through Ask Mona’s conversational AI. Each sculpture shares historical facts and anecdotes, offering a personalised experience based on each visitor’s questions.

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This open-air deployment demonstrates the adaptability of Ask Mona’s technology to heritage sites and outdoor environments.

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Cutting-Edge Technology Serving Heritage

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Built on OpenAI’s Realtime technology, which enables instant voice interaction, Ask Mona developed a tailor-made solution for the Palace of Versailles.

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Pierre-Hippolyte Pénet, Chief Heritage Curator in charge of architecture, sculpture, and decor at Versailles, worked closely with the Ask Mona team to select and organise historical sources. The result is a dialogue experience that is both immersive and historically accurate.

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Access is seamless: visitors simply scan a QR code placed near the artwork or use the Versailles mobile app to launch a real-time oral conversation with a statue.

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A Strategic Move for Versailles

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“Scientific innovation has always been part of Versailles’ history — from its construction to the first hot air balloon flights. Today, the Palace explores artificial intelligence, whose immense potential will significantly enrich the visitor experience,” says Christophe Leribault, President of the Palace of Versailles.

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This initiative follows years of digital experimentation at the château, including virtual exhibitions, augmented reality experiences and partnerships with Ubisoft and Google Maps.

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A Personalised Approach to Cultural Mediation

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“At Ask Mona, we believe that artificial intelligence can transform access to knowledge and enrich cultural experiences,” explains Marion Carré, co-founder and President of Ask Mona. “With this partnership, we offer visitors a new way to explore the gardens: intuitive, interactive, and aligned with their own curiosity.”

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The AI adapts its responses to each visitor, providing relevant insights based on the dialogue. The result is a guided, self-directed exploration of Versailles through the voices of its sculptures.

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Beyond the Experience: A Deeper Understanding of Visitors

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This innovation also offers strategic value to cultural institutions. The questions asked by visitors help generate insights into public expectations and interests. This data-driven approach enables better mediation strategies and more informed content development.

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Available Until Winter 2025

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Accessible directly in the gardens via QR code or remotely via the Château de Versailles app (iOS and Android), this experience will remain available until winter 2025.

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This collaboration allows audiences to rediscover Versailles through a new kind of digital encounter — and positions Ask Mona as a pioneer in outdoor, AI-powered mediation for cultural institutions.

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