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TAIL OF
THE DOG

Museum of Illusions
A in Rosebank, There were lots of mirrors – the very turned it round and round, with the
Museum of Illusions has
opened
first one distorted me to look like
live head in the middle.
Technically,
Johannesburg.
quickly. There is a kaleidoscope
this is a series of rooms and a large muffin so I walked on very Apart from the mirrors, there were
spaces, with different exhibits and you look into with a friend at the several op-art examples of straight
experiences, excellent for young other end, and you can turn this lines being distorted by squares – I
children. to make your faces morph into remembered the op-art fabrics of the
interesting shapes. An infinity room 70s, in neon colours, which made up
My 7-year-old grandson celebrated has so many mirrors that you are into the wonderful clothes of the time.
his birthday there, with a lot of friends. reproduced hundreds of times, and Revolving discs with one pattern
The staff took the children in groups added props like a single balloon or over another created moiré effects,
of ten around the different exhibits: a bunch of flowers become a myriad and magnetic rulers proved that the
a revolving passage (you actually of balloons or flowers. lines on one side of the picture were
walk level but the space revolves in fact the same size as those on
around you, making you very dizzy Another one is the ‘chair’ on the the other, despite looking longer or
and disorientated), an upside-down floor, which seen from a specific shorter. There were Rubik cubes that
room where all the furniture is stuck angle, looks like a chair raised became snakes, and lots of small
to the ceiling, and you have a photo off the ground on tall legs. The puzzles fitting into each other with
taken of yourself doing a handstand children loved dancing with their great difficulty.
on the sofa, tilting rooms where the multicoloured shadows projected on
floor is higher in one corner than the wall behind, and standing half No food was allowed in the Museum,
the other, so in photographs you behind a mirrored wall moving their so, at the end of their visit, a noisy
look small in one corner and huge in free leg and arm which in the mirror bunch of children were herded down
the other. There was a building you made them look as though they were to Paul’s Ice Cream Parlour, to top up
‘climb’ – you actually lie on the floor floating. A box with a mixing bowl on their illusory experience with a sugar
with your feet against the wall and the top that a small head could fit fix.
in the mirror, this looks like you are through was fun, with a big wooden
climbing an outside wall. spoon that stirred the bowl and Gill Butler

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