A new Art Experience

Abstract

The aim of this project was the design of a new exhibit for Science Centre Delft, using lifelike reproductions of historic paintings created by the research project "3D fine art reproductions". Using reproductions of paintings opens up doors to interact with paintings like never before. The main challenge was researching how the use of these reproductions of paintings can create an added value in experiencing art for the young audience of the Science Centre (7 to 12 years old), and finding a way to incorporate the research outcomes in the design of an exhibit.
Experiencing art is different for everybody. Although the content of the aesthetic experience is personally dependent, a general structure of the experience can be identified (Csikzentmihalyi & Robinson, 1990). The viewer can be involved with the art on multiple dimensions: the perceptual dimension, the intellectual dimension, the emotional dimension and the conversational dimension. For an engaged aesthetic experience, it is important that the challenges of the work of art on one or more of these dimensions are in balance with the skills of the viewer. If these two are not in balance, the viewer should be facilitated in the process to enable him/her to have an engaged experience.How this facilitation should look like and on which of the dimensions of art it should focus, depends the interests and skills of the user.Research showed that because of the young audience of the Science Centre, the focus in this project should be on the perceptual dimension: facilitating the process of exploring the canvas and consciously looking at the art. This fits best with the aesthetic development of the target group and will enable the Science Centre visitor to have an aesthetic experience relevant to them (Housen, 2008).
The final design of this project makes the aesthetic experience into a tangible experience, by providing the user with clear goals and tools to explore the painting. This way, an engaged aesthetic experience can arise that fits well within the Science Centre context. The design consists of three parts, combining different goals and stances.1) The first part focusses on the formal elements of art: the building blocks of an artwork. Small pieces of the painting are printed separately, for the user to find back in the painting. All search pieces are based on one of the formal elements, making the user aware of their existence.2) For the second part, flowers from the painting are printed separately. The visitors can create extra flowers onto the painting. Doing this, the user can experience how the formal elements are used, and how their actions have effect on the composition and balance of the painting.3) The third part evolves around a personal question. The painting is split into a grid, and the visitors are asked to choose and vote for their favorite piece. This question functions as a probe to look at the painting from a personal point of view.
The design was evaluated in a thorough user research. The research showed that the exhibit enabled the Science Centre visitor to have an engaged aesthetic experience, in which they consciously explored the painting.