The ARt of Dieric Bouts
When M Leuven approached us at AdSomeNoise for their "New Horizons" initiative, the challenge was clear but ambitious: make the 15th-century painter Dieric Bouts relevant to a modern audience.
Bringing a 15th-Century Master to the 21st Century
Bouts was a pioneer, a "maker of images," but to a contemporary viewer, his masterpieces can feel static. My goal was to unlock the conceptual potential of my "twisted brain" to translate these raw, historical concepts into a compelling, interactive campaign vision that would bridge five centuries of art history.
"Trivial Inquiries"
Instead of a standard promotional video, we decided to gamify art history. We developed "Trivial Inquiries — Dieric Bouts Edition," an immersive AR experience that transformed Bouts' The Last Supper into a digital playground. The Mission: Users were invited to "Help Jesus win" by participating in a quiz inspired by Trivial Pursuit. The Gameplay: By scanning a QR code on an interactive flyer or at the museum, users entered the painting to seek answers from the apostles and characters within the work.
High-Tech Meets High-Art
We didn't just want the characters to look good; we wanted them to have a soul. Using my background in motion design and my fascination with AI tools, we pushed the boundaries of what a web-based experience could do. AI-Animated Characters: We utilized D-ID to animate the static figures from the painting, allowing them to guide the audience through the quiz. Voice of God (and Jesus): To give the experience personality, we collaborated with Het Geluidshuis and a stellar cast of Flemish actors, including Koen De Graeve as Jesus and Warre Borgmans as the Narrator/God. Web AR (8th Wall): We used the 8th Wall platform to ensure the experience was accessible directly through a mobile browser with no app download required, making the barrier to entry as low as possible for visitors.
Articles and mentions about the campaign
This project was a massive collaborative effort. I had the pleasure of working with an incredible group of people who brought this "twisted" idea to life.
