The Marini S.Pancrazio Foundation – Museo Marino Marini in Florence, Italy launched the second edition of the “Playable Museum Award”. The open call challenged creatives and visionaries from all over the world to imagine the museum of the future – a “playable” museum, an interactive museum where technology fuels creativity, stimulating ideas through play. Submissions should propose ideas that involve experimentation and playfulness, offer a creative use of technology, and work to rethink the connection between people, the artworks, and the museum. The only limit was your imagination. A commission of international experts from prestigious institutions will evaluate the submissions, and will assist the winners in carrying out their project. The composition of the commission will be announced within October 2019.
The winner will be announced in December 2019, and will receive a grant of 10,000 euros along with the expertise and mentorship of the jury members for the implementation of the project. All of the submitted projects will be published directly on the official website of the initiative, and included in other communications connected to the Playable Museum Award.
The Playable Museum Award is an initiative of The Marini S.Pancrazio Foundation- Marino Marini Museum in Florence, Italy, in partnership with the Cultural Association TuoMuseo.
Playable Museum Themes
The challenge invites candidates to submit ideas, concepts, and/or prototypes that tackle two or more of the following themes:
- Combine technology and creativity to surprise the visitor;
- Encourage new physical or digital connections between the museum and the urban space around it;
- Promote dialogue between individuals, specifically reaching out to connect those who are not well-connected with the museum;
- Transform the museum into a place that goes beyond conservation and preservation, making it into a productive cultural and artistic hub;
- Imagine ways to personalize the museum visit according to the different needs of each visitor;
- Create new ways of connecting visitors and the museum, in particular before and after they visit;
- Make the museum a space that is alive and joyful, a place that brings happiness;
- Start up a dialogue between the works of art and the visitor;
- Engage younger generations (Millennials) through technology, employing ways that are familiar to them;
- Transform or co-mingle the narrative and artistic languages used to describe the museum.
Each new suggestion that brought positive innovation and imagination was welcome.
Who can participate?
We were looking for artists, designers, urban planners, cultural managers, stylists, makers, artisans, developers, storytellers, architects, game designers, video game creators, musicians, writers, graphic artists, physicists, mathematicians, biologists, chemists, and creators of virtual/augmented reality… but above all, imagineers and dreamers accustomed to thinking outside the box and capable of turning their proposed ideas into a concrete reality.
The projects had to be new and original, and not previously proposed or published. They did not need to focus on the “Museo Marino Marini” specifically, or any museum in particular, but instead they should address the concept of the “museum” in its broadest sense. They had not to be submitted for consideration elsewhere at the date of application. In addition, the project had to be feasible and implementable during 2019.
Individuals, groups of individuals, non-profit, and for profit organizations from any country in the world might participate.
Judging
The jury that will evaluate the submitted projects will be composed of prominent figures at the intersection of art, technology, creativity, and design and will be announced during the open phase of the call.
Evaluation Criteria
The jury will evaluate the submitted projects based upon the following criteria, listed in no particular order:
- Adherence to the “Playable Museum” themes listed previously
- Combination of creativity and technology
- Quality and originality of the concept
- Feasibility of the project
- Potential to move and engage the public
- Competencies of the proposing individual/team
- Flexibility and scalability of the project
The Award
The project selected by the jury will receive both tangible and intangible support in order to give life to their idea and launch a prototypal version of the project. In particular, the chosen project will have access to:
- a grant of € 10.000 (ten thousand Euro) dedicated to the realization of a prototype of the project;
- support from mentors and advisors for the implementation of the chosen idea;
- the possibility to access technological and design advice, for testing and the use of museum/urban spaces;
- a communication campaign that will give visibility to the project.
Important Dates and Deadlines
Call for Applications opens: March 25th, 2019
Call for Applications closes: August 31st, 2019
Realisation of the chosen project
The Museo Marino Marini is an intriguing place where many periods in the history of Italian art are represented. A building with early Christian origins, the ex-church of San Pancrazio preserves the Rucellai Chapel with the temple realized by Leon Battista Alberti during the Renaissance. During the nineteenth century, the structure’s architecture became industrial when it was transformed into a tobacco factory. The building was finally restored in 1986 by Lorenzo Papi and Bruno Sacchi. It was adapted to host the rich collection of works by Marino Marini, one of the most important Italian artists of the twentieth century.
About Museo Marino Marini di Firenze
The Museo Marino Marini is an intriguing place where many periods in the history of Italian art are represented. A building with early Christian origins, the ex-church of San Pancrazio preserves the Rucellai Chapel with the temple realized by Leon Battista Alberti during the Renaissance. During the nineteenth century, the structure’s architecture became industrial when it was transformed into a tobacco factory. The building was finally restored in 1986 by Lorenzo Papi and Bruno Sacchi. It was adapted to host the rich collection of works by Marino Marini, one of the most important Italian artists of the twentieth century.
www.museomarinomarini.it
About TuoMuseo
Tuomuseo, winner of the cultural innovation competition held by Fondazione Cariplo, is an international collective of creatives, developers and game designers trained to experiment with new ways to produce and experience culture.
www.tuomuseo.it