The AGO releases a free photo app that’s like Instagram, but artier

The AGO has just launched a new, free app named AGO Express Yourself, which allows users to take photos and manipulate them using filters that mimic artistic styles (cubist, impressionist, sculpture and more). With the popularity of Instagram, a number of competitors have been trying to bring something different to the photo-altering game: Camera+ offers touch exposure and focus, as well as a stabilizer; Tadaa offers rapid-fire shooting, an abundance of filters and a tilt-shift mode; and Hipster (yes, it’s an awful name) allows the user to create postcard-inspired images (you can add text on top to say where you are or how you’re feeling). With so many photo options out there in the app world, does AGO’s arty app stand a chance? The load times are slow and the filters are reminiscent of Photo Booth, but at the end of the multi-step process, the app hangs your work of art on a virtual gallery wall. Sure, it’s a gimmick, but that on its own is still pretty neat.