Since last summer, the Museum of Art and History in Brussels has been hosting a new permanent exhibition on Belgian decorative arts from the 19th and 20th centuries, with a focus on Art Nouveau and Art Deco. In these galleries, you can ErfgoedApp follow an interactive and educational scavenger hunt using the ErfgoedApp . Curious and with the app at the ready, we set out to explore the exhibition ourselves.
One of the largest museums in our country is located in Brussels’ Jubelpark. To the left of the monumental triumphal arch, which overlooks the park and the rest of the European capital, stands the Museum of Art and History. The museum houses an impressive collection of art-historical objects from all over the world—more than enough to fill a full day of cultural exploration in Brussels.
The building is thematically divided into four sections: non-European civilizations, Antiquity, national archaeology, and European decorative arts. The new exhibition is located in the latter section, which is where we’ll be spending the next hour.
The information sheet with instructions is available at the museum’s reception desk. It’s free, though you’ll obviously need a museum ticket. We’re directed to a door with a special logo. Once we’ve found the mysterious room, we step into a beautiful reconstruction of a 19th-century shop interior.
The Wolfers Store was designed in 1912 by Victor Horta, a key figure in Belgian Art Nouveau. The store was originally located in Brussels and served as a showroom for the Wolfers Frères jewelry store. The solid-wood display cases, floor, and decorative accents in the room transport you back a century in time at a glance. Some objects also list their original retail price, which you can compare to the average annual income in Belgium during that period, displayed on a wall in the room.
Eddy Kat is also waiting for us here. With a quick scan using the app, he tells us his story and immediately tests our prior knowledge of the rooms we’ll be exploring shortly. That way, we’re well prepared.
The search takes us mainly through the central hall, where Belgian Art Nouveau and Art Deco are on display. The information sheet we were given lists the objects we need to find. As soon as we find one, we use the scanning feature in the app. Since the app only provides an image as a clue, we are challenged to actively explore the hall. Countless cabinets, display cases, chairs, paintings, and even fully furnished living rooms may contain the objects we’re looking for.
Thanks to Eddy Kat’s quiz, we’re not caught off guard in this impressive hall. We immediately recognize the flowing, organic forms of Art Nouveau, as well as the clean, geometric lines of Art Deco. Of course, that doesn’t stop us from learning even more from the information panels in the hall. That’s how we discover why Victor Horta played such an important role in Belgian Art Nouveau and what influence the 1902 Turin World’s Fair had on the international spread of this art movement.
With the ErfgoedApp , you ErfgoedApp the new galleries of the Museum of Art & History in an accessible, interactive, and self-guided way. Through audio clips, games, and quizzes, Eddy Kat keeps sparking your curiosity to find the next object. The tour is designed for children and young people ages 5 to 12, but adults will enjoy it too.
For more information, visit the Museum of Art & History website. The tour itself can be found on the ErfgoedApp website.
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