Recently, I visited IKONO Vienna, a new immersive art museum that opened in spring 2024. Located in the heart of Vienna, IKONO is nothing like a traditional museum. It’s a space that encourages visitors to not only look at art but also interact with it in playful and creative ways. The museum’s 12 rooms are designed to engage your senses and invite you to participate in the experience rather than just observe it.
My visit to IKONO was not only a lot of fun but also gave me a lot of new ideas for my master’s thesis, which focuses on how interactive design can create more meaningful connections between audiences and content. Here’s a recap of my experience and how it ties into my research.
The IKONO Experience: Playful and Engaging
From the moment you step through the black curtain at the entrance, IKONO pulls you into a world where each room offers something totally unique. The first room I entered was the Spaghetti Room, where long strands of “spaghetti” hang from the ceiling, and you’re encouraged to walk through them, touch them, and just enjoy the silliness of it all. It’s simple but immediately sets the playful tone for the rest of the visit.
Next was Persephone’s Return-Labyrinth, a maze created by artist Heather Bellino. This room combined art with exploration and gave me the sense of being part of an adventure. The labyrinth was designed to make you think about nature and creativity, which I found really inspiring. Unlike a typical museum exhibit where you just look at a piece of art, here you become part of the artwork as you move through the space.
One of my favorite rooms was the Light Painting Room, where visitors can create their own digital art by painting with light. You then get your artwork emailed to you, which was a cool way to leave with something personalized. The experience felt very modern and interactive, using technology to let visitors actively create, not just consume.

Other fun parts of IKONO include the Betta Fish Lounge, where you wear a kimono and walk through a space filled with floating paper particles, and the Ball Pit, which brings out the kid in everyone. There’s also a Retro Arcade Room with working video games from the 80s and a Lantern Room that creates a peaceful, glowing atmosphere.
Interaction and Creativity: Becoming Part of the Art
What makes IKONO stand out from other museums is how it encourages interaction and creativity. Rather than simply viewing the art, you’re encouraged to interact with it and even become part of it. Whether you’re jumping into a ball pit, walking through a labyrinth, or painting with light, every room invites you to engage in a different way.
During my visit, I noticed how much people were drawn to the interactive elements. Visitors were taking photos, playing with the installations, and creating their own mini-experiences in each room. It was interesting to see how the playful, hands-on approach to art appealed to both kids and adults, creating a shared experience that’s very different from a typical museum visit.
For me, this level of engagement is one of the key takeaways from IKONO. It’s a great example of how interactivity can make art (or any content) more memorable and meaningful. Instead of passively looking at objects behind glass, visitors get to interact with the environment, which makes the experience more personal.
Relevance for My Master’s Thesis: Interactivity in Design
This visit to IKONO gave me a lot of ideas for my master’s research, which focuses on how interactive design can engage audiences more effectively. Seeing how the museum used interactivity to create a deeper connection with visitors reinforced several ideas I’ve been thinking about in my own work.
- Engagement through Interaction: One of the key things I noticed was how the interactive elements made visitors more engaged with the content. Whether it was painting with light or playing in the ball pit, people were more involved because they weren’t just observing—they were participating. This aligns with my thesis, which looks at how interactivity can be used to get people more invested in educational content, such as animal conservation or natural history.
- Sensory Immersion: Many of the rooms at IKONO, like the maze and the lantern room, used lighting, textures, and movement to create a multi-sensory experience. Engaging multiple senses can make an experience more impactful, which is something I want to explore in my research. For example, how can we design exhibits that engage not just the eyes but also touch, sound, and even smell?
- Visitors as Participants: At IKONO, the visitors are an essential part of the experience. Whether it’s creating their own light paintings or interacting with the objects, visitors become co-creators rather than passive observers. This idea of visitors as active participants is central to my thesis, where I’m exploring how interactive storytelling can make educational content more engaging. For instance, instead of just showing animals in a zoo, could we design experiences where visitors feel like they’re part of the animals’ environment or story?
- Technology and Personalization: The way IKONO used technology, like the light painting room, to create personalized experiences was also really interesting. Visitors got to create their own art and take it home digitally, which adds an extra layer of engagement. In my own research, I’m exploring how technology can be used to personalize experiences in museums or zoos, so that visitors leave with a sense of personal connection to what they’ve learned or experienced.
In conclusion, my visit to IKONO Vienna was not only a fun and immersive experience but also gave me a lot to think about for my master’s thesis. It showed me how powerful interactive design can be in creating deeper connections between people and the content they’re engaging with. As I continue working on my thesis, I’ll be thinking more about how to use interactivity, sensory immersion, and technology to create meaningful experiences that go beyond the traditional museum or educational model.
Further Reading:
IKONO Vienna | Die Neue Immersive Erfahrung in Wien