This photo was taken in 1883 by Thomas Eakins, a painter who used photography to study the human form. Here, two of his art students stand in front of a relief, in poses that echo the sculpted figures. Eakins used photos as a tool to help him make his paintings feel closer to life: “the camera was a teaching device comparable to anatomical […]
Read MoreI love this painting by William Bouguereau because the whole point of it is enjoyment. When I stand in front of it in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, I’m treated to a moment of visual pleasure. I feel immersed in the dream-like countryside, imagining weaving the delicate flowers into a crown and the feel of my toes in the dirt. It is an invitation to […]
Read MoreThe autumn semester starts today. This past spring, I completed all of the seminars for my Museum Studies PhD. The next step in this process is the infamous examen doctoral, an exercise that involves diving deep into the theory in which my research will be grounded. I'll be investigating museum [...]
Read MoreI was really into masks last year. After I learned how to make papier-mâché masks for Halloween, I started to see masks in every museum I visited. The obvious reaction? Copy them in papier-mâché! My first museum-inspired mask was based on the deliciously grotesque horror masks of French 19th century artist Jean-Joseph Carriès. The project really helped me take in [...]
Read MoreThis is an installment of Creative September on the theme of Beginnings (if you missed it, check out a description of the project here!). I wanted to find the oldest object in the Musée du Louvre. For a museum with the aim of being "universal" and showing humanity's heritage, where did they [...]
Read MoreI love being in on a secret. And when I learn about the meaning behind a symbol or a visual convention in art, I feel like I am in on a secret with the artist. A stroll through the artworks in the Louvre brings me face-to-face with a plethora of secrets, some more legible than others. Some [...]
Read MoreStill lives are incredibly sensual beings. But not only do they exemplify virtuosity, their aim is to sneakily make you think about the very nature of life itself. Given this, why are they so easy to just skim by in museums? Filmed partially in the Louvre in 2011, this little video aims to explore both the sensual and moral aspects of this subtle genre [ ... ]
Read MoreThis is part of Make a Mask, a series where I make copies of masks in Parisian museums. This Halloween, I made my first papier-mâché mask. It was such an enjoyable process; a mix of sculpture, paper work and painting. Since then, every time I visit a museum, I am drawn magnetically to any and all masks on display. Naturally, the next step was [ ... ]
Read MoreÉglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés is easily one of my favorite churches in Paris. It feels ancient; a reminder of the past in the midst of contemporary Parisian life. The structure is surrounded by two little squares, each tucked in against the church and chock-full of art. These modest parks have their own distinct character [ ... ]
Read MoreToulouse is known as la ville rose due to the pink bricks used to construct many of its buildings. The Musée des Augustins is no exception. Built in 1309 as a Augustinian convent, today the building houses a collection of paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century. The galleries [ … ]
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This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer.
IMAGINIBUS is a blog about playing in museums, with a focus on imagination and creativity.
This blog is a place to be inspired to use your imagination around artworks—and to see the art of your daily life.
When we engage creatively with art, museums can become playgrounds and laboratories to experiment with attention, mindfulness, and imagination. Interesting things happen when we use that museum gaze to look at our daily lives like a work of art.
Find more inspiration for playing with new ways of paying attention to your daily life here.
Hello! I'm Marina Gross-Hoy, a writer, Museum Studies PhD candidate, and mother currently living in Quebec. I take playing in museums very seriously.
Read more about the blog here.
Check out my newsletter on Substack to be inspired to see the art in your daily life.
