Becoming part of the art
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

Interactive 3D Art Takes Hold in the Philippines

Somewhere deep in our dreams, we all want to be famous—or at least the lead actor in a production or the star of the moment.

I sang my heart out as an 8-year-old, in the secluded corners of our house, with a broomstick microphone in hand. I knew the words to every musical. I pictured myself accepting the Oscar (with great humility and a speech that brought tears to every member of the audience). Didn’t happen.

Open wide
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

3D Dreams at Art in Island Museum

Thanks to the Korean creators of a new interactive 3D art museum in the Philippines, these kinds of dramatic-role dreams can come true for all of us non-celebrities. Visitors can become stars of selfies, letting their inner actor emerge.

Bring your own costumes, props, and creative spirit . . . and step into a world of phenomenal 3D art.

Lights

Action

Camera

Mermaid-inspired creativity
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

Innovations that Inspire

The Art in Island Museum opened six months ago in Quezon City, north of Manila, and is already a bricks-and-mortar—and viral— sensation.

The CEO, Yun Jae Kyoung, decided to open the museum in the Philippines because of Filipinos’ love affair with taking selfies and sharing them with people they care about on social media.

It is one of the largest 3D art museums in the world, with a variety of “trick art” paintings.

One of the themed rooms at the Art in Island Museum
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

The large murals were designed by a team of Korean master painters to give the illusion of depth and to allow visitors to become part of the art.

The art spans the spectrum, from interpretations of iconic paintings—such as Van Gogh’s “The Church at Auvers,” Munch’s “The Scream,” and Fragonard’s “The Swing”—to optical illusions where the realities of size, space, and gravity are in question.

An interpretation of Fragonard’s “The Swing”
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

Visitors can climb walls, take a gondola ride, balance on ancient tombs, surf the perfect curl, or dunk a basket, no matter their skill, age, or height.

A slam dunk
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

The Museum’s Priority: Go Crazy

This is a museum that defies the standard rules. You can touch things. You can climb on things. You can take as many photographs as you want and stay as long as you like.

The human interaction with the art is as fun as the art itself, since creative and comical poses are encouraged.

Size may or may not matter.
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

If you can’t take a selfie in a particular painting (and, let’s face it, you’ll need an XXL selfie stick or smartphone remote to make a self-portrait with this large-scale art), the museum staff are available to serve as paparazzi.

The only rule: you can’t wear shoes, since they might damage the painting on the floor. Bring some socks, go barefoot, or use the museum-provided comfy slippers.

Finding a balance in 3D
© Edgar Alan Zeta-Yap

The Fun of Being Part of Art

The interactive 3D art museum philosophy says, “We want you to be part of art.” Oh, I see the fun people are having and the creativity that emerges as visitors become part of the art. So, I’m all for how these 3D innovations feed the current craze for selfies.

Illusions of the grandest kind
© Edgar Alan Zeta-Yap

And maybe, after that hunger for fame and self-recognition is fed, we can go to an art museum and fight the urge to photograph the work or photograph ourselves in front of each masterpiece to prove we were “there.”

Instead, we can just spend the moment in awed silence and think about how a work of art makes us feel. That, for me, is the true meaning of interactive art.

We can all be perfect angels.
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

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