If you’re bummed about recent bans on selfie sticks at many of the world’s art institutions, pack your bags and head to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. There, you’ll find Art In Island, billed as the world’s first selfie museum (via Good).
But there’s more to the place than just capturing your mug in front of art: The museum is an interactive, “touchable” space filled with 3D renderings of classic paintings, where visitors can become one with the art. Some of the paintings even have parts missing so spectators can assume the position to complete the image. Practice your ducky face next to Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” or let Instagrammers think you’re a part of Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” Think of it more as a Chuck E. Cheese’s for art lovers than an extension of the Louvre. According to Hyperallergic, a complete tour of the museum takes roughly two hours so it’s a quick breeze through art history.
Art In Island is a direct response to the traditional museum model, as it is aiming to attract “those who think that ‘art museum is not for me’,” according to the museum’s Facebook page. “Art In Island allows visitors to interact and have fun with the art pieces,” adding that it wants people to be part of the art.
While museums are banning selfies sticks, selfie photography is quickly becoming a way of life in Manila. A Time Magazine study discovered that the city’s 1.66 million residents took the most selfies last year – averaging 258 per 100,000 people, in a span of seven days. Art In Island is as much an innovative idea as it is a response to the emerging culture of cell phone photography in Manila.
