On the museum grounds outside, artist Maria Elena González designed an interactive art piece called “You and Me” using raised platforms on opposite ends of the lawn. As one person stands on a platform, a friend takes his or her place on the other, creating the impression of both individuals stepping into a painting. Visitors shared this imaginative experiment with the hashtag #NCMAyoume. “It all plays on perspective,” said Emily Kowalski, communications specialist at the museum. “People love not having to be too careful about art and have fun with it.” Also outdoors, the museum featured an exhibit with giant inflatable white rabbits called “Intrude,” created by Australian visual artist Amanda Parer. During the 10-
day exhibition, more than 25,000 people showed up to take pictures with the fairytalelike figures. “They were a social media craze,” said Kowalski. “We had signs throughout the event with the hashtag they could use.” Since Snapchat is already regularly used to create memes of famous paintings, the museum recently organized a meme scavenger hunt for teens. Likewise, when Beyoncé visited Raleigh for a concert, museum staff captioned several works of art with Beyoncé lyrics on Snapchat. “Memes are such a trend on Snapchat right now, so we’ve been working to make art more accessible to younger people by putting funny captions or pop culture references with it,” said Kowalski.
Kim Morgan Dean
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