Everyone is coping with the current global situation in different ways. Some people eat through their snack stash, while others binge-watch Netflix or relive their favorite moments by going through old photos. Well, this London couple found a pretty unique way to brighten their day. They created a miniature art museum for their pet gerbils to explore.
Filippo and Marianna crafted "The Gerbil Museum" using paper and cardboard, combining their artistic skills to recreate 4 famous paintings: Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring", Munch's "The Scream", and Klimt's "The Kiss". Then, they let their two 9-month-old pet gerbils, Pandoro and Tiramisù, explore their creation.
Bored Panda reached out to Filippo for some additional information on the project and he provided some new details. "My partner and I are Italians living in London," Filippo introduced the pair, "Marianna works in retail while I am an employee of the V&A Museum." He also briefed us on their pets: "Pandoro and Tiramisù are 9-month-old brothers who just love to spend time together sleeping, eating and chewing - they live the dream, basically."
More info: Twitter
The couple decided to create this mini museum on a Sunday while being quarantined
Filippo revealed how this little project came together:
"We visit museums and galleries whenever we can. We are interested in the artworks as much as in the way these are displayed. Are the QR codes to engage the public working? How comfortable are the gallery stools? Is there any audio guide? etc. When Marianna suggested to make a sort of doll house for our beloved gerbils as pastime for a lazy Sunday spent locked at home, I suggested to make a small art gallery. She is very good at painting and it was a nice opportunity to keep us busy with a fun project."
"We visit museums and galleries whenever we can. We are interested in the artworks as much as in the way these are displayed. Are the QR codes to engage the public working? How comfortable are the gallery stools? Is there any audio guide? etc. When Marianna suggested to make a sort of doll house for our beloved gerbils as pastime for a lazy Sunday spent locked at home, I suggested to make a small art gallery. She is very good at painting and it was a nice opportunity to keep us busy with a fun project."
As for how the gerbils reacted to this miniature masterpiece? "They seemed interested in everything but the paintings, which made us laugh," the owner explained. "They explored the space interacting with the stool, the signs and the benches instead," he added.
When asked if the pair planned on making additional miniature projects after the success of "The Gerbil Museum", Filippo revealed that while they do take suggestions for expansions of the current miniature, they don't plan on making new sets. Yet.
We also inquired how did people respond to the humorous project since the pair posted it online. "These last few days were incredible: what started as a small fun project became one of the most surreal experiences we've ever had with thousands of positive comments and messages about our gerbils and the gallery," the man told us. "A lot of people seemed happy to see gerbils taking the spotlight for once, instead of depressive stories about the current situation around the world," he concluded.
You can watch the gerbils in action in the video below
Here's how people on Twitter reacted to the project
Image credits: GretchenlbB
Image credits: coffeeem
Image credits: tweetsbyHLG
Image credits: KimNSimpson
Image credits: RevMelanieNOLA
Image credits: amuslimRDN