Ever wanted to impale a mythical beast or prop up the Leaning Tower of Pisa? This is exactly the kind of service that Busan’s Trick Art Museum provides, by using clever optical illusions to place visitors right in the centre of the action.
Classic paintings have been manipulated using ‘trompe l’oeil’ techniques, which cause 2D paintings to appear 3-dimensional. You can see examples at the Museum’s site but information is in Korean only.
The museum’s wacky offerings have recently come to international attention after a pair of travel writers Mike Powell and Jurgen Horn took photographs of themselves seemingly within several of the paintings and posted them on their blog – Busan for 91 Days. You can check out the young men groping Botticelli’s Venus or balancing on a single finger upside next to a statue of Diana.
Although they appear to have had a great time, the pair warns that the museum will not be to everyone’s tastes. ‘If you don’t like having your picture taken, stay far away from the Trick Eye Museum, which is also not recommended for anyone who’s overly serious, or those who have any semblance of pride,’ they write. ‘Basically, if you’re not willing to act like an idiot in front of the camera, you won’t have any fun here. But everyone else, and especially kids, should prepare for a good time.’
The museum appears to be dedicated to providing setups for funny pictures. If you don’t come with a camera you can hire one at the museum and they will email your photos to you.
Aside from classic paintings, the museum also provides photo opportunities of a more modern persuasion by allowing you to launch an ‘Angry Bird,’ pick up a giant piece of sushi and walk the red carpet while eager photographers take your picture.
ArtsHub has reported recently on the trend towards interactive 3D artwork. Kurt Wenner is internationally renowned for his ‘3D pavement art’ which most recently allowed visitors to pose within the Grand Canyon itself.
But South Korea has taken the fashion to extremes and there are now three Trick Art Museums across the country.
