Minneapolis, MN, November 5, 2015—The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) today announced the winner and runners-up for the Museum’s inaugural 3M Art and Technology Award competition, which launched in June to recognize artistry and innovation among individuals working in the field of technology. As partners with shared interest in how technology, design and experience come together to enrich arts and culture, 3M and Mia were proud to collaborate on this program. Team Luxloop, a creative tech studio that is focused on finding new ways to bring digital interactions into the physical world, has been awarded $25,000 for their site-specific narrative audio experience. They will have the opportunity to work with Mia staff and the companies involved in the judging to implement their idea and engage museum audiences in the galleries in the coming months. Bruce Shapiro (Sisyphus) and Bobby Maher (Leav App) were named the two runners up, out of a total of over 100 contestants.
The finalists were selected by a panel of technology experts and digital designers that included Curtis Wong, Principal Researcher in eScience at Microsoft; Collin Hummel, Digital & Experiential Brand Manager of 3M; Rick King, CEO of Technology, Thomson Reuters; Patrick Kennedy, Managing Director of Accenture; Keri Elmsley, Executive Creative Director, Second Story; John Moe, Producer and Host, American Public Media; Kaywin Feldman, Duncan and Nivin MacMillan Director and President, and Douglas Hegley, Director of Media & Technology at Mia. 3M is the title sponsor of the award, with generous support provided by Accenture.
“On behalf of everyone at Mia, I want to congratulate Team Luxloop and this year’s finalists on their creativity, vision and passion,” stated Douglas Hegley, Director of Media and Technology at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. “This award enables the museum to work with creative innovators to provide new and unexpected ways for our audiences to engage with our collection. We are eager to work with Team Luxloop to launch this exciting project in the coming months.”
Team Luxloop led by Ivalyo Getov has created “Overheard.” The site-specific narrative audio experience is inspired by the conversations that might be overheard at museums—like a couple on their first date or a docent sharing a behind-the-scenes story, a curator hurrying through the museum muttering to herself, etc. Visitors use a mobile-app, triggered by location-based technology, to follow the stories of a group of fictional characters experiencing and discussing the art and its meaning to them.
“Overheard is similar to immersive theatre, in that it allows you to explore a story in your own way, at your own pace,” said Luxloop co-founders Ivaylo Getov and Mandy Mandelstein. “Overheard will fill the Museum with imagined characters and stories. As you explore the galleries, the app will keep track of your location, allowing you to “overhear” characters through your headphones as if they are right there with you. You can listen to clues in their conversation about how to follow them and their unique story, or continue along your own path, perhaps running into them again a little later. It will be a new way to move through Mia and experience the incredible works on view through different people’s perspectives and explore the fascinating ways that people can connect with art.”
“The finalists all applied strong, creative thinking to potential solutions that integrate technology into the Mia experience,” said Collin Hummel, 3M Digital Design & Experiential Brand Manager and competition judge. “Not only is Team Luxloops’s winning idea inspiring as a fun way to elevate narrative and digital interaction, it also demonstrates how creative passion, curiosity and a strong design sensibility can playfully reimagine the expected experience of a visit to the museum.”
ABOUT THE MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART
Home to over 89,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) inspires wonder, spurs creativity, and nourishes the imagination. With extraordinary exhibitions and one of the finest wide-ranging art collections in the country—Rembrandt to van Gogh, Monet to Matisse, Asian to African—Mia links the past to the present, enables global conversations, and offers an exceptional setting for inspiration.
General admission to Mia is always free. Some special exhibitions have a nominal admission fee.
Museum hours: Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.;
Thursday and Friday 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Monday closed. For more information, call (612) 870-3000 or visit artsmia.org.