Interactive playground
4 February – 1 April 2012
Authors: Patrycja Mastej, Dominika Sobolewska, Paweł Janicki, Zbigniew Kupisz, Aniela Lubieniecka.
Realised within the framework of the project Przedszkole Mediów – WRO Art Centre, Wrocław, 2008-2010’. Coordinator at the Regional Museum in Stalowa Wola – Magdalena Wielgocka
‘The new interactive playground’ has already been visited by more than a hundred thousand people in leading art galleries and museums in Poland and abroad. This innovative project, created with the latest computer technology, is mainly aimed at the youngest viewers, who, while actively playing, have a unique opportunity to feel like they are in an artistic laboratory and experiment with various issues in the field of art, such as texture, sound, perspective, colour mixing….
The “Interactive Playground” is a modern exhibition designed for the youngest audience, composed of interactive media installations. The project is pioneering both technologically and in its reception method—interaction with the audience. The set of installations, which is continuously developed and enriched with new components, offers thrilling experiences and allows viewers to generate images and sounds on large-scale screens in real-time through play.
The exhibition resembles a laboratory where one can experiment with art. In line with the main idea of the “Media Kindergarten,” the latest technologies have been employed: motion sensors, computers, and cameras. This exhibition, combining aesthetic, educational, and social functions, utilizes both hidden electronic components and parts that children can manipulate. The objects derive from popular toys, yet expand their form and functions, textures from the real world that are absent in traditional computer interactions, and arranged three-dimensional environments—allowing children to engage in direct and personal exploration of art concepts, as if replicating the original sensory and conceptual perception of the world. This type of perception is fundamental in shaping the relationship between the child and their environment.
The exhibition consists of the following interactive stations:
1. PAINTING WITH LIGHT – an installation in a space monitored by a camera placed above the screen. Gestures of children/participants playing with glowing toys, such as light sabers, are tracked by a motion detection system. Each movement made with the toy triggers a sound and leaves a light trail on the screen, creating unique compositions. All of this is facilitated by special software. The history of the movement is interactively translated into abstract images and sound. The size, shape, and color of the image displayed on the screen correspond to the positions of the toys set in motion by the participants. The installation can be implemented on two screens.
2. TEXTURES – a work that combines acoustic, visual, and tactile experiences. By touching various textures in containers—stones, water, bark, moss, grass, and steam—the participant triggers a visual and auditory projection of changing nature. For example, when they touch bark, trees change; fogs form, and the ocean gets agitated. Amazing atmospheric changes can be observed on the screen. The motion detection system records the movements of hands touching surfaces with natural textures, triggering large-scale projections that differ based on the number and sequence of activated textures.
3. BOPI – an audiovisual installation based on proprietary software that, through an intuitive interface, allows for multi-faceted play. It serves as a visual-music instrument, with its drum-like cylindrical elements transferring rhythm to sensors that generate colorful, animated microbiological forms. By playing on the “drums” arranged around a screen on the floor, the participant changes the rhythm they create into a colorful dance of microbiological forms, learning basic artistic concepts like texture, color, or perspective, as well as musical concepts like rhythm, meter, and harmony.
4. MAGICIAN – an interactive game featuring a poem by Maurice Carême. Playing together with animated illustrations created by children during workshops can bring much joy. The system responsible for controlling the animations created by the children responds to the order of the graphic symbols, guiding them to their goal. Participants can test their skills and recite the magical poem in the correct order by laying out colorful illustrations on a table.
5. DOG – a historical interactive installation that greets and guards guests at the new Playground.
Cinema – also aimed at the youngest audience, showcasing classic and unique animations from the Polish Audiovisual Publishing House – Anthology of Polish Animation. It serves as a resting space but also introduces children to classic concepts related to art and media.
The “toys” have been designed primarily for preschool and early school-aged children. However, they will undoubtedly provide fun for their parents as well. When visiting the exhibition, there’s no need to worry about your little ones—our “interactive dog” is here to watch over them. Of course, a museum staff member is also available at all times to guide participants in the activities and explain how each “toy” works. To fully appreciate contemporary art at the “Interactive Playground,” you should reserve at least an hour for your visit.
For safety and convenience in using the “exhibits,” we ensure that groups consist of around 10 people.
Ticket Prices: 5 PLN, reduced: 4 PLN, family: 10 PLN (one adult + two children). Children under 7 have free admission.
The “New Interactive Playground” was created by a young team from Wrocław: Patrycja Mastej, Dominika Sobolewska, Paweł Janicki, Zbigniew Kupisz, and Aniela Lubieniecka, from the previously mentioned WRO Art Center. They have successfully presented it in Wrocław, Toruń, and Warsaw (at the National Gallery of Art “Zachęta”). Most recently, the exhibition was showcased at the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture in Moscow—one of the most interesting independent institutions presenting contemporary art in Russia. This is the first edition of this fascinating exhibition in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship.
