We present first experiences from Local Area Artworks, a system enabling collaborative art interpretation on-site, deployed during an exhibition in a local art gallery. Through the system, we explore ways to re-connect people to local places by making use of their personal mobile devices as interfaces to the shared physical space. With a collocated collaborative writing system in the semi-public space of a gallery, we encourage local art discussions and provide a platform for the public to actively participate in interpretations of individual artworks. In this paper, we focus on the experiences of small groups of strangers or acquaintances experiencing the exhibition together.