In August, the second edition of 'Smile Safari' will take place in the centre of Brussels, as the Instagram & TikTok-museum moves to the Anspach Shopping Centre.
In October, Smile Safari opened its doors as the biggest Instagram museum in Europe and the first in Belgium, as a pop-up in the Tour & Taxis exhibition centre. Last year's edition attracted over 25,000 visitors.
The second edition, which will have over 50 different settings to take photos and interactive videos in, will no longer be a pop-up, but will get a permanent place in the Anspach Shopping Centre, at the Place de la Monnaie and the Rue Neuve.
"Because of the coronavirus we had to revise our plans, but when we had the opportunity to take over a large building in Anspach Shopping, we did not hesitate," said Dieter Veulemans of CityCubes, which organises Smile Safari. "It is a unique location in the commercial heart of Brussels. We plan to stay here at least until 2021," he added.
Every year, the shopping centre draws about 5 million visitors, with an average of 18,000 per day, giving the museum a lot of visibility.
To ensure that the experience remains safe, the organisation will install, among other things, a 'Disinfect' system, which has also been installed by several supermarkets to make sure its clients respect the safety measures.
The permanent location will also have a number of new rooms to take photos in, as well as specific video settings. "All decors will look nice and flashy, but some will be perfect for videos. After all, we want to pay even more attention to TikTok, because that app is exploding completely, and not only with children," said Hannes Coudenys of Hurae, one of the organisers of the Safari.
"Think, for example, of the famous 'bullet time' scene from The Matrix. Visitors will be able to jump in front of a coloured screen and see themselves from all sides. But be sure to expect ball pools and swings as well," he added.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
