Saint Elmo's Create first Virtual Museum of Children's Rights for Hamburg Child Protection Association

Nov. 25, 2019

Only those who know their rights can exercise them: On the occasion of the 30th International Day of Children's Rights on 20 November, the Hamburg Child Protection Association (Kinderschutzbund Hamburg) not only opened the "Square of Children's Rights" in Hamburg, but also the first virtual museum for children's rights.

Senators Dr. Melanie Leonhard and Dr. Carsten Brosda, and the president of the Child Protection Society Germany Heinz Hilgers were present to inaugurate.

At first glance, the Square of Children’s Rights in Hamburg only shows an empty pedestal. It takes a mobile phone and the app "The Secret Sculpture" to solve the mystery. With the help of augmented reality, 42 holographic sculptures, each representing an article listed in The United Nations Convention on the Rights of The Child (UNCRC), become visible on the pedestal.

The virtual sculptures were created by renowned artists including Erwin Wurm, Joseph Crossley (Astral Projekt), 1010, Björn Holzweg, Doppeldenk and the most renowned 3D studios in Europe.  Saint Elmo's conceived the idea and implemented it in order to inform children of to their rights in an innovative and unusual way.

The aim of ’The Secret Sculpture’ is to visualise the UNCRC, and raise awareness of the work of the Child Protection League.  There are 54 articles in the United Nations convention on the rights of the child, and St. Elmo’s invited 42 artists to create a virtual artwork for a plinth in the Platz der Kinderrechte. Each virtual sculpture is visible via a new Kinderschutzbund Hamburg app using augmented reality when you hold your phone up to the plinth.

The background of the campaign going with the hashtag #TheSecretScuplture is that far too few children in Germany know their rights. The Hamburg Child Protection Association wants to change this and protect children better - through education, support for children who need help, and a petition to ensure that children's rights are also taught in schools.

Ralf Slüter, Managing Director of the Hamburg Child Protection Association commented:

"The virtual museum creates fresh attention for our important subject and especially for our petition that children's rights be included as a compulsory topic in the curricula of German schools. The petition is linked in the app.”

 

Reinhard Crasemann, Managing Partner Creative Saint Elmo‘s added:

"In our Museum of Children's Rights we combine sculptures that inspire because of their high artistic standards with modern state-of-the-art augmented reality technology. Everyone involved is delighted to use his or her skills to increase the lobby for children together with the Hamburg Child Protection Association and to include children's rights in all curricula in Germany".

 

The app is available for download here.

The petition can be signed here.