Moominvalley Comes To King's Cross

The expansive space will see exclusive Moomin artwork appear, on Samsung The Frame TVs, for a start. There will also be interactive digital drawing workshops where you can create your own Snufkin, Moomintroll or Hattifatteners, perhaps.

Interactive Digital Art Workshops

The Digital Art workshops will happen on May 23, 24, 25 and 30, and it’s advisable to book tickets — though it may be they are full already as the link isn’t especially forthcoming.

The artwork is appearing here because 60 curated artworks showing the Moomin world has just become available to Samsung Art TVs around the world in the Samsung Art Store.

Samsung’s Art Store is a way to access thousands of artworks through your TV. It’s not free, mind, and requires a subscription, though when new content is added, like the Moomins, they are automatically available, too.

Where smartphones improve through new updates, the Art Store adds a dimension to TVs when they’re not being used to, you know, watch programmes. This is not exclusive to Samsung: LG has its own Art TV offering, and both offer a way to ensure that when the TV is off, it doesn’t become a room-dominating black rectangle.

There’s also a dedicated Moomin pop-up experience complete with interactive digital drawing workshops, quizzes to be played on Galaxy tablets and what are described as live storytelling moments. “Guests can also experience complimentary bubble tea, alongside exclusive Moomin merchandise and plush-filled café spaces designed to bring the cosy charm of Moominvalley to life,” Samsung said.

Classic Tove Jansson Art On Samsung The Frame TVs

Samsung Art Store, you may know, is the selection of artworks which those with Samsung Frame TVs can see when they’re not watching TV shows. The 60 artworks span early Tove Jansson black-and-white illustrations from the original novels from the 1940s through to cover illustrations, watercolor artwork from Moomin picture books and more.

“The collection also includes more recent interpretations of the Moomin world, serving to bring classic and contemporary works together in one experience,” Samsung explained in a press release.

There will be some people who might think that such content is reason enough for buying a Samsung Art TV, which now includes select OLED TVs such as the S95H (available globally) and S99H in Europe.

I’m told that the addition of the Moomins has had an instant cut-through for consumers in the way that classical art by the likes of Van Gogh, Monet and others — which is also available in plentiful amounts on Samsung’s TV — may not.

Art TVs such as the ones from LG and Samsung have an advantage over traditional art: you can change what’s on your wall in an instant. (Though I suspect that once the Moomins move in, for many households they’ll be there to stay.)

For shoppers in another part of town, the upmarket store Selfridges will also house a pop-up version of the collection.