At the Museum of Illusions, Kuala Lumpur, LoongWai Ting’s perception of reality is tested
UNLIKE typical museums that have strict regulations for visitors, the Museum of Illusions invites visitors to make as much noise as possible, touch the exhibits and even exchange banter with friends.
‘In short, unleash your inner child and let your imagination run free here,’ says director Azizul Aznan, ‘We don’t want visitors to be shy. We want them to fully engage with the exhibits. Feel free to laugh out loud.’
The latest attraction in the city, which occupies the first and second floor of Ansa Hotel in Bukit Bintang, houses the largest single collectionof optical illusions in Asia, promising a visual and sensory experience like no other.
The museum has over 70 exhibits, each designed not only to thrill visitors but also provide a unique opportunity to learn how easily the mind can be tricked. Certain stops at the museum will make you second-guess your perception of reality.
SPINNING WALLS
You may think that you’re seeing one thing but suddenly you realise that your eyes may be playing tricks on you -- and in most cases, it’s all due to optical illusion.
A seemingly perfect and still heart shaped image in a framed photo on the wall starts to move. Rubbing my eyes, I look at it again. It looks normal at first, but the longer I stare at it, the more the heart seems to be popping out of the frame.
Next, I grab afriend and head over to the Ames Room, where we play ‘the giant and the dwarf’. Remember the movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, where Wonka walks down a hallway and he appears bigger than the walls and the doors?
As I pace the room like Wonka, my friend takes a video of me and, much to our amusement, I seem to have ‘shrunk and grown’ before our eyes. Oh, remember to look out for ‘camera stickers’on the floor, too! The museum lets visitors know the perfect angle for the best optical illusion result in a photo. The Ames Room is one of the museum’s hotspots.
My favourite is the Vortex Tunnel, a straight, solid platform. Random glow-inthe-dark paints are splashed on either side of the walls. Just as I am about to step ontothe platform, the cylindrical walls start to spin like the inside of a washing machine, giving a sense that I am about to fall over a railing. No matter how hard I hold onto the railing, it’s hard to take away the sensation of falling over. Every step seems heavy as I struggle through the tunnel. But on reflection, my fear of falling over seems silly.
However, it’s interesting to know the brain may take extra effort to process what you see.
Before you exit the museum, be sure to drop by its gift shop. There are many puzzles, games, collectibles and educational toys that both adults and kids.
TRAVEL FILE
ORIGINALLY set up at Zagreb, Croatia in 2015, the Museum of Illusions offers interesting visual and educational experience that transcends all generations. It is designed based on science, mathematics, biology and physchology for visitors to learn about vision, perception and how the brain works. The museum can be found across Europe and the Middle East. Places like New York, Berlin, Dubai and Toronto are expected to have their own Museum of Illusions soon. Kuala Lumpur is the seventh of its kind and first in Asia.
FAST FACTS
MUSEUM OF ILLUSIONS
WHERE Ansa Hotel
101 Jalan Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur
TEL 03-2110 2654
WEBSITE www.museumofillusions.my
HOURS 9am till 11pm
PAY RM35 (adults) and RM25 (kids under 15). There are special rates for families, large groups and school excursions.