Transforming a museum visit into a fun and memorable experience for young family members with cute "Museum Label" is an innovative concept by new-gen artist Deejai Kosiyabong and "Museum Pier" co-founders Pirirya and Kornkamol Vachajitpan. This new art museum by the Chao Phraya River is now the first in Thailand to create a novel way of joyfully exploring exhibits. The ultimate goals are to ensure happy family time and to inspire kids to think, learn, draw, and discover the motivation to become artists in the future!
Museum Label is Set to Grow Children's Love for Museums
While museums are important learning spaces, they sometimes seem suffocating and irrelevant to kids. Kornkamol and Piriya , the visionary husband-and-wife duo behind Museum Pier who are keen to bring Thai arts to global recognition, have therefore joined hands with Deejai in promoting Kids in Museum and making their place a new family attraction.
"Since I have always been passionate about child psychology and art for kids, we started discussing how we could make art friendlier and more accessible to children and enable them to learn more about art and history. That's when we thought of 'captions for kids,' a concept widely used in museums across the UK and the US. These captions present ideas through words, illustrations, and symbols designed specifically for kids. Alongside this, we developed an Activity Book that comes with crayons and colored pencils, allowing children to sit down, draw, take notes, or doodle freely?fueling their imagination and creativity."
Kornkamol explains that Museum Labels at her museum are concisely engaging captions at kid's eye level that provide information about artworks using specially designed language or illustrations tailored for children. These captions encourage kids to actively engage with art, making learning more colorful and enjoyable. Through cute captions displayed on museum walls, children can create their own narratives, share their thoughts, and retain what they've learned in an exciting way. Museum Labels also provide family-friendly activities, inspiring more families to visit museums with their kids and stimulating their young family members' interest in art, culture, and history.
"The ideas that our artist (Deejai) incorporates into the captions are interpreted from a child's perspective, blended with tidbits of knowledge we have prepared. This approach allows kids to have fun while exploring the world of art, adding a new dimension to Thai museums. Moreover, our Museum Labels strengthen family bonds through creative activities that stimulate learning. At the same time, parents may discover new sides of their children and thus will be able to help nurture and support their passions later."
On top of this, children's captions help develop critical thinking, curiosity, observation skills, and communication by engaging kids through art, language, and symbols designed to capture their attention. This aspect is something Deejai values deeply. The artist dedicated nearly two months to crafting this special cute caption project, an effort that complements the "200 YEARS JOURNEY THROUGH THAI MODERN ART HISTORY" exhibition.
Creative Caption Ideas: Turning Museum into Playground of Imagination!
As soon as Deejai decided to collaborate with Museum Pier, she blended her childhood experiences and family memories with what she learned from Museum Studies at the US-based Pratt Institute to develop Thailand's first collection of Museum Labels for children.
"I feels that museums can sometimes be intimidating and difficult for children to comprehend. Imagine being a child, looking up at a painting on the wall?it may be stunning, but without context, there is no meaning in it. I recalled and cherished my childhood memories of visiting exhibitions with my parents (famous singer-songwriter Boyd Kosiyabong and his wife Worakanya), who would always ask about my feelings. That's why I focused on creating simple, engaging captions for this project. I aim to spark curiosity to help kids observe, question, and imagine. It's about connecting the kids with artists' thinking process via Activity Book. We use plenty of questions to encourage meaningful family conversations during their exhibition visits."
While thoughtfully designed to be at a child's eye level, concise texts or drawings on Museum Pier's brightly colored walls appeal to not just children but also adults. Cute fonts come with lovely tones. For example, "Look closely, what can you see?" "What sound might come from this picture?" or "Can you find these items? A ring, a rose, a man, a Buddha statue" accompany precious modern
Thai artworks, all of which have much historical significance. Such Museum Labels indeed make learning so fun for kids.
"Every piece showcased in this exhibition is incredibly rare and valuable. One of my favorites is the work of Misiem Yipintsoi ?it's absolutely awesome and mesmerizing. I love the artist's color usage and painting techniques. For the exhibition, I really want to do everything I can for kids to enjoy exploring artworks through captions. Activity Book, meanwhile, is designed to allow kids to maximize their imagination and practice storytelling. Imagine kids excitedly creating their own stories in the museum. Such activity will be both enjoyable and unforgettable for them. Adults can also join in and engage with the kids."
At the heart of Museum Pier's decision to present captions and Activity Book for kids in its compound is also an intention to promote art appreciation in a way that allows kids to enjoy themselves without damaging the artworks and fosters small and smiling conversations among family members. With this approach, kids naturally discover new inspirations that connect them with arts just as their parents uncover the kids' hidden talents.
Discover moments of joy and fun activities for the whole family at the "200 YEARS JOURNEY THROUGH THAI MODERN ART HISTORY" exhibition at Museum Pier. The event runs till 30 April 2025. Located in the THAACHANG WANGLUANG project or right next to Tha Chang Pier, this museum sits on Maharaj Road, Bangkok and is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission fees are as follows: 100 baht per adult and 50 baht per student (with student ID card). Children not taller than 90 centimeters can enter the museum free of charge. For updates, please visithttps://www.museumpier.com/.