I had gotten a Museumkaart, about a year ago, at the behest of a certain someone who proposed that winter’s sparse outdoor activities were the perfect opportunity to explore museums. Now, this was in March, but my excitement got me to go ahead and secure the card immediately. Unfortunately, plans to visit museums with her soon became impossible, and the card sat unused for a long while. I did attempt a spontaneous day trip to Texel and visited the Shipwreck Museum (a fitting choice, as I was feeling as broken as a shipwreck myself), but they did not accept the Museumkaart.
Over the following month, as I began meditating and listening to life-changing content on the Waking Up app, I discovered Rob Walker’s series, The Art of Noticing. I loved this series a lot, realizing that I am naturally gifted with the ability to notice things. I resonated with his prompts—whether it was observing the moon’s phase or noticing security cameras in passing. One particularly intriguing challenge he issued was to design a “slow museum day.” This inspired me to merge mindfulness with museum exploration. Thus, I inaugurated a weekly ritual: visiting one museum every Saturday.
Each visit proves incredibly fulfilling. I spend extended periods simply observing the art, and the deeper I look, the more hidden details emerge. I was especially mesmerized by some of Van Gogh’s works, which I first encountered at the Noordbrabants Museum and later at the Van Gogh Museum. These pieces are so powerfully evocative that I found myself completely entranced. I have always had a soft spot for Van Gogh. During a challenging period in my life, his words once saved me:
“In spite of everything, I shall rise again; I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing.”
When I reached the part of the exhibition showcasing his works from when he was institutionalized, I was filled with a profound sadness unlike any I had known. I cannot even begin to describe how I felt then. So I won't. This was just one of the many profound experiences I have had across various museums.
This weekend, while revisiting Rob Walker’s series, I realized that these personal journeys also offer collaborative potential for building meaningful connections. Inspired by this insight, I am proud to announce the launch of my own meetup group, Slow Museum Saturdays—a collective pursuit of mindfulness through art and museum exploration.
Here’s a rough format for Slow Museum Saturdays: