Category Archives: 2022 Sites

Silence and Connections in the heart of Berlin

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For their second Slow Art Day, the Museum der Stille, in Berlin, Germany, organized an in-person event where participants were invited to look slowly in silence and peace.

The Museum der Stille, literally the “museum of stillness”, is a quiet and safe space in the heart of Berlin where visitors can find a moment for contemplation and deep spiritual connection. It is literally a slow – and slow – art museum.

Visitors engaging with a work of art by Nikolai Marakov. Photo credit: Steve Nietz.

For Slow Art Day, the organizers, Steve Nietz, Alexander Aleksander, asked participants to look silently at two works (one in each room) by fellow organizer and artist Nikolai Marakov (see photo above).

While they did not answer questions in the galleries, the organizers did make themselves available in the lobby in case participants had questions or comments.

Perhaps, due to the lingering effects of looking slowly in noiseless rooms with dimmed lighting, participants did not ask questions afterwords – but some did leave comments about the power and impact of this experience.

“If I had more time, I would have sat down in the room forever. It was exactly what I needed: silence.”

Slow Art Day participant

“The dense atmosphere, the absence of sound, and the minimal exhibition has put me in a state of calm.”

Slow Art Day participant

“The room of silence left me speechless.”

Slow Art Day Participant

“Soft tones, forms and figures of every kind, evoking transcendence and the urge to let go. A place of utter calmness in the middle of busy Berlin/Mitte.”

Slow Art Day Participant

The event was a success with 25-30 participants coming to silently look at the art slowly.

At Slow Art Day HQ, we are impressed with the merging of silence and slow that the team at Museum Der Stille created – especially given how afraid many are of silence (think about how many of us walk around with headphones, or how loud many museums can be).

But silence, like slow, is powerful and we encourage more museums to consider using silence as a key design element of their future Slow Art Day events.

And we look forward to seeing what this creative museum in Berlin develops for their Slow Art Day 2023.

Best,

– Jessica Jane, Johanna, Robin, Ashley, and Phyl

A Focus on Beauty at Northern Lights Gallery

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For their second Slow Art Day, Northern Lights Gallery, based in Melfort, Canada and hosted by Sandra Dancy, focused on beauty as a temporary escape. Seven artists from Melfort – a city of about 6,000 in central Saskatchewan – offered one piece of their work for slow looking.

Write Down to my Soul, Jen Kjelshus, Mixed media on paper
Untitled, Linsey Levendall, Acrylic on Cradleboard

The seven artists participating were Randi Lalonde, Jen Kjelsus, Linsey Levendall, Darwin McLeod, Julie Schmale and Kylie Severight.

Dancy’s vision for the Slow Art Day was simple: slow people down to enjoy beauty and use art as therapy in a difficult world.

She said:

Slow Art Day is the perfect way to focus on the artistic beauty that is everywhere and to briefly escape the many things going wrong in the world. It reinforces how therapeutic art is for the artists and the viewers.

Found and Free, Kylie Severight, Acrylic on Canvas
Interactive art with artist Linsey Levendall

The gallery’s event on Slow Art Day was a featured article in Northeast Now.

Northern Lights Gallery also produces slow looking events throughout the year including their mid-summer “Back Alley Tour,” which encourages participants to look slowly at the work-in-progress of local artists (as well as attend workshops and interactive art making experiences).

You can find Northern Lights Gallery on Facebook and Instagram.

We can’t wait to see what they come up with for next year!

– Robin, Johanna, Jessica Jane, Phyl, and Ashley

Dutch Art at the Holland Museum

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For their first Slow Art Day, the Holland Museum in Holland, Michigan, organized an in-person event inviting participants to engage with their Dutch art collection.

Beach Scene with Men on Horseback, n.d., Johannes Koekkoek (1840-1912), oil on canvas

Participants were divided in four small groups and were encouraged to look at the selected paintings for five minutes each, then to share their thoughts with a friend or another participant from the event. Education & Community Programs Manager Michelle Stempien provided them with a short brochure with images from the Dutch art collection.

Holland Museum’s Slow Art Day brochure.

The brochure contained different open-ended questions and prompts for each painting, to encourage more in-depth looking:

Elegant Company Making Music, 1660, Jacob Duck (1600-1667), oil on panel

Prompts for “Elegant Company Making Music” by Jacob Duck :

  • What do you think the woman on the left is thinking about?
  • Why is she looking at us?
  • How does the artist show us her importance?
  • What seems unusual about this scene?

Other prompts included the comparison between these two paintings:

Portraits of Cornelius Van Beresteyn and
Janntje Berckel, 1617, Pieter Jacobsz
(1608-1677), oil on panel

A docent was also available to discuss the paintings. Participants were playfully encouraged to copy some of the poses in paintings, and post photos of their poses to social media.

We encourage educators and curators to consider copying their joyful slow looking design — including their brochure.

And we at Slow Art Day HQ are happy to welcome the Holland Museum to Slow Art Day, and look forward to what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2023.

Jessica Jane, Johanna, Ashley, and Phyl