ING BankState of the Art

Inducing meaningful conversations around a contemporary art collection

When ING Bank held an exhibition of its contemporary art collection, the challenge was to lift visitors beyond passive spectators, and engage them as part of a dynamic conversation around the artworks. To do this, it was imperative to go beyond the typical poster/banner/website trilogy by creating a smartphone tool that would articulate the themes and kickstart the dialogues.

Hosted at the ING Art Center in Brussels, an exhibition themed around “Love. Hate. Debate.” was held to showcase the history, breadth and diversity of ING Bank’s contemporary art collection. Using the often polarizing and contentious nature of contemporary art, the intention was to invite questions and opinions from the audience – enabling them to draw closer and form personal connections with the works on display.

To help facilitate participation in the debate, a holistic communications system was required that would integrate all aspects of the show: curation (what to see), communication (what to say), and experience (how to interact with it). A full kit of tools, from spatial to digital, messaging to imaging, web app to catalog, was developed to lure visitors into discussions.

Upon entering the gallery, a larger banner read: “This is not an exhibition. And you are not just a visitor.” This set the scene for a series of introductory prompts; first impressions one might form when viewing contemporary art. "My kid could have drawn that", "Do you see what I see?", "It's just a piece of wood, right?" These statements and questions invited a wide and diverse public to entertain an open dialogue with the artwork.

Avoiding the hassle of downloading yet another app, a Progressive Web App – a website that adopts app-like functionalities – was developed to offer supplementary commentary and additional information about the works and themes. It was critical not to distract visitors from the powerful emotional connection experienced when face-to-face with the art.

Instead of a catalog, a book titled “Stories of a Collection” was designed as a keepsake – documenting the history of the collection and allowing narratives to continue far beyond the exhibition.

The 360-degree approach to building a journey through the collection also encompassed texts, furniture, spatial layout, and images that together created a unified experience. The result of this co-curation and collaboration was a great symbiosis between ING and all the creatives involved in the process: designers, strategists, scenographers and developers. This synergy allowed us to imbue ING’s collection with intrigue and allure, and develop a unique story around the exhibition.

When ING Bank held an exhibition of its contemporary art collection, the challenge was to lift visitors beyond passive spectators, and engage them as part of a dynamic conversation around the artworks. To do this, it was imperative to go beyond the typical poster/banner/website trilogy by creating a smartphone tool that would articulate the themes and kickstart the dialogues.

Hosted at the ING Art Center in Brussels, an exhibition themed around “Love. Hate. Debate.” was held to showcase the history, breadth and diversity of ING Bank’s contemporary art collection. Using the often polarizing and contentious nature of contemporary art, the intention was to invite questions and opinions from the audience – enabling them to draw closer and form personal connections with the works on display.

To help facilitate participation in the debate, a holistic communications system was required that would integrate all aspects of the show: curation (what to see), communication (what to say), and experience (how to interact with it). A full kit of tools, from spatial to digital, messaging to imaging, web app to catalog, was developed to lure visitors into discussions.

Upon entering the gallery, a larger banner read: “This is not an exhibition. And you are not just a visitor.” This set the scene for a series of introductory prompts; first impressions one might form when viewing contemporary art. "My kid could have drawn that", "Do you see what I see?", "It's just a piece of wood, right?" These statements and questions invited a wide and diverse public to entertain an open dialogue with the artwork.

Avoiding the hassle of downloading yet another app, a Progressive Web App – a website that adopts app-like functionalities – was developed to offer supplementary commentary and additional information about the works and themes. It was critical not to distract visitors from the powerful emotional connection experienced when face-to-face with the art.

Instead of a catalog, a book titled “Stories of a Collection” was designed as a keepsake – documenting the history of the collection and allowing narratives to continue far beyond the exhibition.

The 360-degree approach to building a journey through the collection also encompassed texts, furniture, spatial layout, and images that together created a unified experience. The result of this co-curation and collaboration was a great symbiosis between ING and all the creatives involved in the process: designers, strategists, scenographers and developers. This synergy allowed us to imbue ING’s collection with intrigue and allure, and develop a unique story around the exhibition.