From artefact to experience

From artefact to experience
Take a canoe trip through prehistoric Drenthe, dance at a peasant wedding, or join Neanderthals on a mammoth hunt.

Labyrinthia at the Drents Museum offers an interactive journey through time. From hunting mammoths with Neanderthals to dancing at a farmers' weddings and canoeing through prehistoric landscapes. 

The exhibition brings the history of Drenthe to life. Visitors can wander through the labyrinth of fifteen galleries, each of which presents them with a new world. 

Photography
Drents Museum, Nienke Maat, Niels Knelis Meijer, Sake Elzinga and YIPP
AV Partners
WIRTZ Film
Client and Location
Drents Museum - Assen (NL)
Exhibition Designer
Northernlight
Fit Out
Bruns
Open Since
2024
Our Role
Concepts, interactive experience design, production
Square meters (m2)
1.186
Show all credits

Step into the shoes of early humans and artists

Families step into a wooden canoe together and grab the paddles. As they paddle in sync, they navigate a projected prehistoric river. The physical paddle transforms into a virtual spear and fishing net as soon as players aim it at the wall. Through this boat trip, visitors experience firsthand the significance of the world's oldest canoe, which they can admire in the same room. In the art gallery, visitors combine their own creativity with smart algorithms. They paint a Drenthe landscape on a digital canvas, after which artificial intelligence transforms it. They can admire their creation directly alongside classic masterworks and take a digital version of their artwork home.

Poetic audiovisual stories that touch the heart 


A close media collaboration elevates the exhibition into a multi-sensory experience. Poetic animations about death and remembrance give emotional depth to ancient rituals. A big projection mapping transforms an ancient fibula brooch into a fluttering butterfly right before the visitors' eyes. Standing near the archaeological finds, visitors hear the voice of the Yde Girl telling her own story.

From abstract idea to intuitive experience

To seamlessly merge physical objects with digital storylines, we designed phygital interactions that respond instantly to movement. During the development process, we extensively tested various sensors and physical props in our studio.

Testing group dynamics

We investigated how families move and collaborate. These tests revealed that clear, physical actions, such as paddling in sync or ducking for a mammoth, create the best group dynamics. This results in immediate action and interaction without complicated instructions.

Figures show that families linger longer at museum pieces after an interactive challenge. Labyrinthia proves that technology actively deepens the experience of culture and heritage.


Want to know more?

Our director Wouter would love to tell you more about this project! Send him an e-mail at wouter.vanderzouwe@yipp.nl

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