The Blue Neon is designed so you can engage with it in direct manner. Let me explain.

We removed all the interferences and useless features to maximise the quality of your interaction. Endless scrolling only benefits the creator (of the platform), algorithms only trap you in an echo chamber, advertisements only distract you from your main purpose. We want you in & out of here in 10 minutes. Once you feel fulfilled and serene, our job is done and so is yours. Don’t come back until the next day.

How to make the most of The Blue Neon? I am not one to provide you with a guide on how to slow look, you will find plenty of these out there – we might even list the ones we like at some point – until then we let your intuition leads the way. If you need a bit of help, we laid out in chapter 16 the most effective way to interact with the Wheel of Art, as it stands at the centre of this universe.

I will focus more on why most artworks require time to be appreciated. A common mistake would be to assume that given vision is immediate, it yields a direct sense of understanding. This is an error. You have to decelerate to reap the benefits of what you're looking at; the outcome will only come after a certain time, trust the process.

But the fundamental question that derives from all this: are all artworks sensitive to slow looking? Yep, you’re right to challenge the inevitable and the only answer as to whether you should dedicate time into an artwork that initially triggers nothing inside of you is: no, definitely no. Forcing a patience mode into yourself will not necessarily mean an artwork opening up and revealing all its secrets. Nonetheless before dismissing a painting, a drawing, a sculpture after two seconds – and hurting an artist’s feelings – a few parameters have to be taken into account.

The first being the complexity of the work, whether abstract or figurative. More details or a bigger scale amounts to more time required screening in order to get the whole picture and we don’t even mean grasping the essence, just viewing it. The medium, the style and the technique influence the effectiveness of slow looking.

Once over the potential visceral shock of the encounter, you can then delve into trying to decipher the artist’s message they want to convey. The conceptual depth echoes the cultural context in which the artist created their work and reflects on their intention. An understanding or simply a willingness to do so - or both - enhances the experience.

Most of the time, when wandering in a museum or a gallery, you will find a brief description next to an artwork providing info about the context, the technique etc. but The Blue Neon decided not to replicate this method (except for the style&dimensions). Though useful, we consider that it alters the viewing with a biased guidance – biased, not incorrect. I prefer your self-certifying approach in the apprehension of a work of art, and over time and with repetition this will amount to knowledge, your knowledge.

Applying a universal approach to slow looking could be a waste of time – but we won’t go as far as saying detrimental or counterproductive – as not all artworks are sensitive to it. Some are reservoirs prone to contemplation and others are straightforward by nature.

Be your own judge.

Yours Sincerely,

BLUE