There are a plethora of museums and exhibits to see and experience in New York. Seriously, I think it’s probably one of the main attractions across all five boroughs. The American Museum of Natural History is iconic to me because of Night at the Museum. The MET is a prime tourist attraction, and there are so many small galleries in SoHo and on the Lower East Side. After living here for almost two years, I finally got the chance to make my way over to Chelsea Piers, where I visited the Arte Museum.
I went into this expecting just a projector showing an old painting and literally nothing else. But I was actually blown away by how much fun I had. I’ll try not to spoil it, but there are fourteen rooms that feel like they go by surprisingly fast, even though I was there for about an hour. It’s also a journey for all five senses. I will say, if you’re like me and have a very sensitive nose, there are two rooms that might get a little overwhelming after a while, so come prepared. It’s definitely nice at first, but it almost took me out of the experience after some time.
I think the interactivity of the Arte Museum is something I always crave. I was always that kid at the art museum who wanted to craft something, and that’s something I want more of as an adult. I understand why it can be hard to offer due to resources and the number of visitors, but getting creative here made me feel like a little kid again. There’s one section of the museum where visitors can color in a page and then put it through a scanner that animates your drawing. The programmer in me kept thinking, “How does it actually know to do that?” because my drawing’s imperfections weren’t visible on the screen. I had this thought throughout other parts of the experience, and it’s been a while since a museum has given me that sense of curiosity, the last probably being the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria.
I originally expected a lot of people taking Instagram photos, and while that’s a given for any kind of attraction, it was mostly just people enjoying themselves in the moment or taking pictures of the exhibits. It is really difficult to get good photos of yourself because it’s overall a very dim environment. I do think the rooms could be a bit bigger as well, but I went on a weekday when it wasn’t too crowded.
Like most museums, Arte is cheaper for New Yorkers. There’s a ticket package where you can visit the Arte Cafe and get a drink with a creative technology twist. I got their signature Green Apple Nohito, and it was incredible, a flavor combination I hadn’t thought of before. It had salted caramel cold foam and tasted just like a caramel apple. The interactive part comes when you get to choose what is essentially a little guy for your drink.
The gift shop is your standard museum trinket spot, but there is a photo booth that I was extremely excited to try. This is a more modern style booth, and there are a lot of stickers and filters you can use to customize your photo strips afterward.
(P.S. A Google review will earn you a little something at the front register)
Overall, this really was a great immersive experience, and I got to “nerd out” a bit! I love combining art and technology, and I think museums like this are a great way to find inspiration for coding projects and digital design, while also bringing back a sense of childlike wonder. Definitely a must visit for every creative technologist.