The Rise of the Made-for-Instagram Museum
Art in the age of the selfie.
- 01
THE MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM ISN’T WHAT YOU THINK IT IS
WHEN THE MUSEUM of Ice Cream opened its millennial pink doors in New York in 2016, it was a temporary curiosity—and far from a rival to the Whitney Museum of American Art, located just across the street. - 02
EVERYBODY’S DOING IT
One year and three cities later, the Museum of Ice Cream has graduated to cult status on Instagram. It’s a veritable selfie factory: people pay to enter with the express purpose of taking photos for social media. More than 241,000 people follow its page, and countless more have posted their own photos from within the space.
- 03
EXPERIENCE OVER PICTURES
Maryellis Bunn, one of the museum’s founders, denies that Instagram played a significant role in how she shaped the museum. “I don't think that social is what is driving what the Museum of Ice Cream does,” she says. Yet it’s hard to walk through the space and imagine it as anything but a series of Instagram backdrops. - 04
A RECIPE FOR THE PERFECT ‘GRAM
So while the goal of the Museum of Ice Cream may be bigger than Instagram alone, there is no denying that social media plays a major role in its success: Go for the pictures, stay for the sprinkles, and share for the likes.
- 05
SELFIE FACTORIES GALORE
And in the wake of its success has come a spate similar installations. Half a mile from the Museum of Ice Cream, you can find the Color Factory, a 12,000-square foot space containing 15 interactive color “experiences.” In one room, a menagerie of cheese puffs, goldfish, and measuring levels create an orange tableau. - 06
COLOR OVERLOAD
In another, a bright yellow ball pit invites visitors to jump in and play. Perhaps most iconic, there’s the confetti room, where tiny squares of colorful paper blanket the room like fresh snow.
- 07
IT’S LIT
In designing the Color Factory, Jordan Ferney knew each room had to look just as good in photos as it did in person. It had to be fun to visit, too, but if you didn't like the photos you took there, then what was the point? “There were a few decisions we had to make,” she says. “Like, even with the lighting, where maybe a warmer light would have felt better to be there but a whiter light looks better on Instagram.” - 08
IS IT EVEN ART?
With the rise of these selfie factories, the line between art and Instagram filler has blurred—especially for those without a knowledge of art history. What separates an all-purple room in Ferney’s Color Factory from monochromatic avant-garde paintings like Ad Reinhardt's series of square, black canvases?
- 09
- 10
- 11
BUT WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
Maybe the question is not whether these spaces contain art, or even what their relationship to social media says at all, but instead: What do we get out of these spaces? One look at the Museum of Ice Cream’s Yelp page, where it scored 3 out of 5 stars, may tell us all we need to know about these spaces: “Personally, I would save my money and just enjoy the pictures online.”
Comments
Back to top
Arielle Pardes, a former senior writer for WIRED, covers people and products in Silicon Valley. ... Read More
Use Science (Not Surgery) to Create Your Best Selfie
42 percent of plastic surgeons have seen patients specifically looking to up their selfie game. You don't need surgery; you need math.
Carolyn Crist
The Selfie as We Know It Is Dead
Selfies may not be cool anymore, but their spirit lives on—just as it always has.
Margaret Andersen
For Museums, Augmented Reality Is the Next Frontier
Interactive museum exhibits like this are becoming more common as AR becomes cheaper, lighter, and easier to create.
Arielle Pardes
Instagram Boosts Its Security With a Fave-Worthy Update
The Facebook-owned platform launches robust two-factor authentication and now has a more transparent user verification system.
Arielle Pardes
Infographic: Using 2 Million Instagram Pics to Map a City's Visual Signature
How can Instagram data visualize the cultural patterns and trends of a city?
Liz Stinson
What Do We Need From Our Homes Right Now?
The global editorial directors of WIRED and Architectural Digest on teaming up to help you understand how we live today, and what comes next.
Katie Drummond
How Palestinians Are Building a Digital Archive That Can’t Be Erased
Distributed backups, cyber resilience, and a half-million records are preserving Palestinian history beyond any single building or border.
Tamara Davison
10 Designers Share the Trends Defining Dwellings of Tomorrow
From friend compounds and meditation spaces to shaded outdoor areas and rooms just to make coffee, homes are getting even more multipurpose.
Mary Holland
Chinese Drivers Are Using Tiny Plastic Heads to Fool Tesla’s Autopilot Safeguards
A cottage industry of celebrity figurines, blinking screens, and other DIY gadgets is helping drivers bypass Tesla's distracted-driving controls.
Zeyi Yang
Around the World, These Building Solutions Keep Things Local
Designers are finding sustainable building solves close to home—in ancient practices and cutting-edge innovations alike.
Elizabeth Fazzare
How to See the Giant Asteroid That Will Pass by Earth This Weekend
The asteroid will be visible for several nights from different parts of the world. We’ll tell you when and where to look, and what equipment you’ll need to spot it.
Jorge Garay
I Let Siri AI Show Me Around San Francisco
The new Siri AI is conversational, omnipresent, and actually helpful.
Reece Rogers