Open Space Museum

The Open Space Museum (OSM) is a modular, portable exhibition concept developed within the PERCEIVE project to foster public engagement through interactive and accessible cultural experiences. Designed as an alternative to traditional museum formats, the OSM operates beyond conventional hours and venues, providing a tranquil yet dynamic environment for artistic interaction and reflection.

The OSM is a a new approach to experiencing art in public space. It is a modular, mobile and interactive platform that invites everyone to discover, reflect and connect with culture – without walls.

Central to its design are robust Case Study Elements—architectural frameworks that integrate physical artworks with Engagement Applications, mobile-accessible digital tools that enrich visitor interaction. These applications offer educational insights, promote participatory exploration, and extend the museum’s impact beyond physical boundaries.

By partnering with established institutions, the OSM functions as a collaborative cultural extension, offering a pandemic-resilient, inclusive, and immersive platform for showcasing diverse artistic Narratives.

Engagement Apps

The Engagement Apps are the interactive core of the Open Space Museum (OSM). They transform each Case Study Element into a digital, experiential format – and together they cover all five scenarios of the PERCEIVE Project. Each app follows the same three-part structure: Home (introduction), Info (background), and App (the interactive experience). They run directly in the browser – on mobile devices or desktop – and can also be used outside the OSM, making the experience available anytime and anywhere.

Engagement Apps by Scenario

Sculptures:

  • Climbing Wall – Scale the form: An interactive challenge where sculpture geometry becomes a playful experience.
  • Headshot – Piece the portrait together: A puzzle-like interaction that sharpens perception of form and detail.

Painting:

  • PeekBox – A shuffleable image grid: Compare variations and discover composition, color, and detail at a glance.
  • ScreamBox – Feel the intensity of Munch’s The Scream: sound, image, and emotion come alive interactively.

Textiles:

  • DanceSquared – Movement as pattern: Experience textile and color rhythms in dynamic, geometric sequences.

Historical Photography:

  • Automixer – A series in motion: Flip through image sequences with smooth dissolves to explore development, retouching, and fading.

Digital Art (Born Digital):

  • Mezmutter – Interactive language art: Text and image merge into digital poetry, inspired by the works of mez breeze.
  • SpaceTunnel – Rotation opens up new perspectives on 3D works and their digital aesthetics.
Credits

OSM was conceptualized and designed by Arthur Clay LinkedIn, in team with Dario Lanfranconi ORCID and Chiara Gemma Fedon at HSLU.  Its structural logic is informed by modular construction principles by Gerrit Rietveld and Ken Isaacs, and the open-source XYZ Spaceframe system by N55.

Learn more
  • Clay, Arthur. 2025. A COVID-Safe Design Approach for the Open Space Museum (OSM). Online
  • Open Space Museum. Work Blog

Note: While these systems inspired the underlying design philosophy, all structural and conceptual designs for this project were independently developed. The XYZ Spaceframe system by N55 is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License (CC BY-SA 3.0), promoting democratic access, reuse, and adaptation in the spirit of open design. This ethos aligns with the Open Space Museum’s mission to foster inclusive, participatory, and accessible cultural experiences.

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