They’re playing “Switch,” a mobile device-based game for kids and families that is designed to help children take a closer look at and think critically about art in the galleries, while taking part in a cool museum adventure.
To play the game, visitors have to track down a magical spell that’s wreaking havoc in the Getty Center galleries and save the artworks from its mischief. Key details in four famous works of art are switched, and players must find the differences between the art on the wall and the images on their mobile device. Some switches are hard to find, but careful examination can break the spell.
“This game helps kids learn to look closely at details in works of art, and cultivates curiosity,” says Toby Tannenbaum, Assistant Director for Education the J. Paul Getty Museum. “Many families are looking for enjoyable ways to explore the galleries and experience the works of art together; this game provides a focused way for them to do so.”
One of the goals of the game is to facilitate intergenerational learning, so that visits to the museum become more lasting and meaningful for families. The game is also an informal and accessible activity for children who are not as easily engaged in a classroom setting.
Included in the game are four paintings in the Museum’s permanent collection: Portrait of John, Lord Mountstuart, later 4th Earl and 1st Marquess of Bute and Still Life: Tea Set by Jean-Étienne Liotard, Portrait of Leonilla, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, and Portrait of Gabriel Bernard de Rieux by Maurice-Quentin de la Tour.
“Switch” can be accessed at the Getty Center on any mobile device with either an Internet or Wi-Fi connection and an Internet browser. Details for accessing the game can be found in the Museum Entrance Hall at the Getty Center. The game is designed for families with children ages 5 and up, but is fun for playful adults as well.
IMAGE: Portrait of Leonilla, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (detail), 1843. Franz Xaver Winterhalter (German, 1805–1873). Oil on canvas. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.