Children and Culture – Part II of an Experiment at Stift Admont

Who knows me knows that I have always loved being with children. I like showing them exhibitions, palaces and historic gardens and telling them everything I know about. This time we showed children around in a museum and I did a photo shooting with three girls and one boy I had never met before. I thought will they be interested, will they listen when speaking to them? They did and they were so nice and awesome and interested. After the guided tour through the famous baroque library (s. the article) Magister Barbara Eisner-B. showed us through the Modern Art Gallery. She was so interestingly telling about the pieces that the children were concentrated and diverted at the same time.

Changing the exhibitions – we went to see the Gothic collection. There was a challenge for the children. I asked them to find a favourite art work. Raffael (5) was the quickest, his favourite was a statute of the Mother of God with baby Jesus. I asked him: Why did you chose it? – Raffael: Because it is completely made of gold! – Challenge number 2: Imitate one of your favourite figures. Raffael chose the baby Jesus and you can see on the photo how perfect his “copy” was.

Julia´s (7) favourite was another statue but the same theme – the Mother of God with little Jesus. She also chose to pose as the baby (by the way, she had not known about Raffael´s choice). Typical female perfectionist she posed, wasn´t sure if it was good enough, checked again and was then content with her pose.

Marlen (7) posed as an angel, imitated perfectly the attitude of his arms and the right knee (she was the only one who chose a painting as favourite art work and not a statue). Laetitia (7) opted for another statue: a Virgin Mary (this time without baby son) in a dress with the typical grain spike decoration. She was a perfect copy in her attitude and even wearing a blue dress. I think this was a very successful competition, everyone had won.

*Magister Barbara Eisner-B does communication and field dynamics consultancy for Stift Admont.