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Our Summer Vacation Program for Modern Scavenger Hunters

David Studniberg with three scavenger hunters; photo: Doris Spiekermann-Klaas, Verlag Der Tagesspiegel

Even now, scavenger hunters are investigating the hole next to the coin track and taking funny pictures with the iPad. Tom, an eight-year-old tyke with a mop of brown curls on his head, is reading the next instruction out loud: “Now look for the black arrows on the floor and follow them until you get to the Chill Corner. There, you can…” But before Tom can finish the sentence, both of his fellow searchers call out excitedly: “Over there, that’s the corner! Come on!” In a flash, the three of them dash off, past Moses Mendelssohn, towards the “Chill Corner”, where they throw themselves on the comfortable pillows and eagerly read the next quiz question on the tablet.

This and similar scenes can be observed every day now during the holidays at our exhibition. Tom and his friends, you see, belong to a group participating in a new summer vacation program, App through the Museum. → continue reading

An Architectural Instawalk through the Jewish Museum Berlin

Instagrammers in the Libeskind Building; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Judith Westphal

Where might one best spend the hottest day of the year? If not on the water or in the woods, there are only a few reasonable options. For example, an air conditioned museum with lots of underground passages! Fitting then that as part of Architecture Day on Friday, June 24th 2016, we led a very special kind of museum tour: Equipped with smartphones and professional cameras, we took a group of Berliner Instagrammers through the labyrinth that is the Libeskind Building, with Tommaso as guide. Even we as staff were able to learn a thing or two. → continue reading

The Many Faces of Isaac and Ismael, Part 4

Our special exhibition, “Obedience. An Installation in 15 Rooms by Saskia Boddeke & Peter Greenaway,” has been extended until 15 November 2015. The multimedia art installation takes on the sons’ perspectives of this biblical story, when Abraham intended to sacrifice his son in fulfillment of God’s command. In a film projection at the beginning of the exhibition, visitors are greeted by children, youth and young adults with the words, “I am Isaac” or “I am Ismael,” in a variety of languages.

There’s an interactive component to the exhibition, located in the Eric F. Ross Gallery on the ground floor of the Libeskind Building: A video box where visitors can express these words in their own way and, in so doing, more strongly identify with the child perspective of this story of the attempted sacrifice. We’ve presented a small selection of these video clips on the blog over the last several months.

Lisa Albrecht, continuing her task of compiling the clips, has concluded that Isaac and Ismael not only have many faces, but also many names.

However, not all Museum guests are so ‘obedient’ in fulfilling the video box’s intended purpose: → continue reading