2021 is Museum of Contemporary Art Australia’s (MCA) 30th Anniversary and the Museum has collaborated with Ogilvy Sydney to encourage visitors to engage with contemporary art in a very new, very fun (very 2021) way. By sharing their feelings about it. Using emojis.

Ogilvy Sydney’s Your feelings welcome interactive digital experience is accessed via the Museum’s online guide mca.art allowing visitors to use their smartphones to express what they are feeling when they view the art by answering questions and choosing from a selection of 18 emojis. The emotions range from “heartbreak” to “confronted”, “magical” to “deadly”, “surprised” to “empowered”.

Artworks in this campaign include Megan Cope’s installation of oyster shells cast in concrete; Shirley Purdie’s 72 small paintings that document the bush tucker and medicinal plants of the East Kimberley in Western Australia; Maria Fernanda Cardoso’s sculpture comprising of hundreds of dried corncobs; Angelica Mesiti’s video work depicting a portrait of Broken Hill in far-west New South Wales; plus, several other artworks.

MCA director, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, stated, “The MCA is renowned for making art accessible to all communities; to visitors of all ages, cultures, backgrounds and abilities. For 30 years, the MCA has broken down barriers to contemporary art. Your feelings welcome is a playful and stimulating way of inviting MCA visitors to think more deeply about what effect our artworks are having on their emotions.”

Thanks to MCA major partner, Telstra, Museum visitors who share their feelings will be invited to enter a competition to win an iPhone 12 PRO 128GB. Starting today, the public can submit their feelings via mca.art.

Cover image: Kumpaya Girgirba, Kanu Nancy Taylor, Ngalangka Nola Taylor, Ngamaru Bidu, Wokka Taylor, Muuki Taylor, Jakayu Biljabu, Bowja Patricia Butt, Noelene Girgirba, Kalyu (detail), 2014, synthetic polymer paint on linen, Museum of Contemporary Art, purchased with funds provided by an anonymous donor, 2014, photograph: Jessica Maurer.