by Craig Rademacher

It’s football season! The hype, the food, the excitement, the passion, crazy commercials and pundits make it a unique time of year. We talk an entirely different language this time of year. Going deep means aggressively throwing it, the pigskin, to a wide open teammate for the score. What a great time of year. On the opening weekend of the NFL I went deep. Not on the football field but at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA).

Being in town for my nieces wedding (congrats Brooke and Jimmy) we had a few hours prior to the big event and decided to visit the DIA. I was not sure what to expect. I have visited many museum and galleries. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about the DIA. Detroit is a town with a challenging economic climate. Would the DIA reflect that strain? Would I be visiting a museum that mimicked its environs?

I have to admit I was very impressed with the DIA. Friendly staff, very reasonable pricing, and an outstanding collection. But I was dumbstruck by one exhibit in particular. It was the Diego Rivera Court.

If you have never seen it, the Diego Rivera mural fills four walls in the DIA with 27 separate murals. The work was done in the 1930’s and is a commentary on the Detroit Industry of the time. Rivera’s work is considered the finest Mexican mural art in the United States. Standing amidst this work is a profound experience simply due to its scope and size. What a great surprise. It is considered Rivera’s masterpiece.

Rivera’s work was controversial at the time. He was a communist and some Americans protested his interpretation of the auto industry. We are fortunate to have it now as other murals by Rivera have been destroyed. But, there I was, among other visitors, taking in this astounding piece of work. Seeing it, yes just seeing it, is impressive. But going deep with Rivera made it inspiring.

What made my experience truly unique was the DIA’s use of mobile media to help communicate the meaning of Rivera’s masterpiece. At the back of the Rivera Court is a small docent desk. There I checked out a free iPad that was loaded with an app specifically designed to interpret this important art. The app included a scaled down visual of each wall of the hall and of each individual panel. Some panels were on the iPad were touchable. Once touched an audio played explaining the artist’s perspective and history of Detroit Industry.

The experience of using the iPad app was fluid and engaging. It added depth and meaning to what normally would have been a static exhibit. Occasionally the iPad would audibly chime telling the user there was video or images to see related to the panel they were looking at. Visitors of all types used the iPad with ease. Many visitors spent a good deal of time in the Rivera Hall simply because of this mobile device and the story it held. I spent more time there than at any other exhibit during my visit. This is significant in an era where extending the time eyeballs are on exhibits is challenging for most museum exhibit designers. This application of mobile interpretation worked well.

The iPad itself was hardened with a case but was free (drivers license and credit card held). After use we turned the iPad in. What fun. But, I did want to buy the app in iTunes. It is not available at this time.

I not only enjoyed the interpretive experience but also enjoyed watching others interact with the iPad. It seemed quite natural to most. There were docents available to help or talk to people who did not want to use the iPad but many chose to use the device. One of the striking things I observed was that all generations of visitors seemed to use the iPad. One scene in particular caught my attention. A grandmother took her grandson into the center of the hall (see images to right). There they sat, pointing to panels, touching the iPad and engaging in the story together. Both seemed enraptured....in the setting, the art and with one another. It was one of the most intimate moments I have witnessed in a museum setting. It would not have happened without the iPad.

As our culture moves toward a mobile age questions arise about the impact these devices have on our humanity and understanding. Some suggest we will be screen-bound; permanently locked into an unreal world framed by corporations and message merchants. Some suggest that the devices become the experience and not the art or interpretive subject. I saw neither of these things in the DIA. I watched engaged visitors appreciating one of the most significant pieces of cultural art in America...and enjoying it. Yes, the device was used, but it seemed to disappear in the fascination with the meaning of this exhibit. Diego Rivera’s work touched them as they touched the iPad. Technology is best applied when it gets out of the way or enhances meaning.

I asked a museum visitor using the iPad whether she would experience the artwork the same way in the Diego Rivera Court if she had to read a brochure with the same content as the iPad. Without hesitation she said NO. She said she wouldn’t read the brochure. Her comment rings true to many of us who visit museums and scan their contents, missing the meaning curators intend. This is anecdotal evidence but my guess is it also rings true to curators who struggle to get their audience engaged...to get eyeballs on message. People will tell their friends and colleagues about the new media Rivera Hall; as I am telling you.

The impact of the Diego Rivera Court and mural is tremendous. It is as salient today as it was in the 1930’s. Rivera never intended his work to be interpreted by an iPad. He likely never expected visitors viewing his work to really understand the intricacies and profound truths in its meaning. Or, perhaps understand its powerful social and political commentary. It is not uncommon for artists to express first and hope beyond that. It is really the job of modern interpreters to take the artist vision and make it real and meaningful for the visitor.

The interpretive experience permitted by using the iPad was deeper than any in the museum I have experienced. It was richer, involved more senses, contained more messaging, and was incredibly easy to use. Why it was that way is the point of another forthcoming article. However, the experience was thought provoking and fun. Yes, those things can exist together.

Thanks to the forward thinking staff at the DIA many people will go deep into Rivera. It is an exceptional interpretive experience. Made possible by bringing together the humanities and easy-to-use technology. Making meaning accessible...simply a touch away.

If you visit Detroit I would highly recommend this compelling interpretive experience. Only being sacked by  our Detroit Lion’s 307 pound defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh would have more personal impact.