A new interactive gallery concept has opened in Mechelen, Belgium.
Called Het Kunstuur (The Art Hour), the walk-through experience was developed by art collectors Hans and Joost Bourlon and is located in the former Holy Ghost Chapel.
It lasts exactly one hour and features 32 Belgian paintings, dating back to the 18th century, across three gallery spaces.
Visitors wear headsets, with an audio track that guides them through the gallery, prompting them to stop and move on, as well as guiding them to designated areas of the gallery to see special AV effects play out.
In the first two rooms each painting is introduced by a famous Belgian personality, who appears as life-size projection on the gallery wall beside the painting. In the third and final room, which is located inside the chapel, is a darker, club-like space, where visitors hear the narrator but don't see them. An immersive light show, designed to complement the art, completes the experience.
It is designed to appeal to established both art lovers and new audiences who are interested in learning about art but might not necessarily visit a conventional gallery.
Painting With Light (PWL), a Belgian creative lighting design and media specialist, were tasked with the design, co-ordination and management of the technical and control systems for the lighting, video, audio and humidity control elements of the experience.
Luc Peumans, CEO and creative director of PWL, said: "This specific project had some extra challenges - the concept of visitors spending a maximum of one hour in the museum and focussing their attention on one painting at a time together with timing, lighting, audio and guest flow were all key."
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