When people think of the Museum of Fine Arts, modern art may not be the first genre that comes to mind. Sure, here in Boston we have the likes of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Design Museum, and even a Museum of Bad Art. But when considering the MFA, at least for me, my mind first conjures up portraits of foreign nobles, ancient burial art, and depictions of some of revolutionary Boston’s most legendary scenes. But a new exhibit opens at the MFA on Friday, October 10, and is arguably the most modern showcase it’s ever put on display.

Friday marks the beginning of Conversation Piece, an exhibit designed specifically to elicit discussions between spectators with no limit as to what the substance of the chatter can be. Conversation Piece allows patrons to voice their thoughts and opinions on the pieces within the exhibit, a tremendously refreshing aspect given that museum’s in general can feel cavernous and restrained.

The exhibit also marks a milestone for the MFA in that it’s the first time the local institution has incorporated an iOS app as a piece of art. Miranda July’s ‘Somebody’ app, available to download free for all iOS devices, is a major component to Conversation Piece and helps perpetuate conversations not only in the exhibit space, but throughout the entire museum.

Conversation Piece curator Liz Munsell was gracious enough to give BostInno a look around as well as some background information about what it means for the MFA to break from the typical. It’s just one of several ways they’re trying to connect with a younger generation, but that’s just a positive byproduct and not really the essence of the exhibit.

Rather, Munsell is leveraging mobile technologies that often consume us – whether waiting in line, riding the T, or simply walking down the sidewalk – to instead put them down and spark a casual chat with a complete stranger. Along with including objects we collectively use everyday, Munsell is putting a contemporary spin on the 18th century definition of the term “conversation piece” which, in the British meaning, formerly referred to a portrait of someone in an everyday setting.

“I wanted to have an exhibition full of artwork that can be a platform for dialogue, that can connect our conversations,” Munsell said. “This is my 21st century ‘conversation piece.’ Everything is put in a 21st century context.”

Not set up in a typical white box gallery, Conversation Piece is held in an open corner of the Linde Wing that thrives on the surrounding hustle and bustle. Pieces include Somebody, a vibrant curtain, a trio of chairs, looped televisions and a table comprised of marble, cartoon-shaped talking bubbles.

Somebody, though, might be the most peculiar piece in that it requires no physical space whatsoever. It works as a simple messaging tool with a unique take on connecting strangers. If one user wants to send a message to another user, that message is actually directed to a third-party user who can either be a friend or complete stranger in close proximity, and relayed to the recipient. The idea, of course, is to prompt a dialogue that may not have otherwise happened.

“People come into the exhibition and they can download the app and start using it,” added Munsell. “The entire MFA is a hotspot, not just this exhibition. These devices are meant to make our lives more efficient but increasingly they contain us within screen time and our own little iPhone bubble. It’s a bit of subverting technology in order to  open up those technological platforms to other possibilities, other modes of using them.”

Because Somebody can be utilized throughout the entire museum, it can also be used to bridge the gap between antiquated installments and the most modern. It’s all about forging connections, whether between people, and between epochs, with art as the constant background.

“Our generation is used to more interactive platforms,” concluded Munsell. “[Somebody] is connecting the dots between the contemporary and the historic.

Conversation Piece opens to the public on Friday, October 10, and will remain so until March 15, 2015

Happy conversing!