The impression many tourists have of European museums is a serious atmosphere where people quietly take in historic artefacts and speak in hushed tones, if at all.
But many museums are fighting this reputation, and there is a growing focus on making history more interactive and engaging for visitors.
And while the aim is usually to make exhibits less intimidating to a wider, non-specialist audience, one German museum is offering a different kind of experience.
Düsseldorf’s Kunstpalast museum, home to Europe’s largest glass collection, is the stomping ground of Joseph Langelinck, known as the ‘grumpy guide’.
The museum advertises Langelinck’s tours, which cost £6 and last for an hour, as ‘highly unpleasant’.
The website reads: ‘The Grumpy Guide knows everything, and above all, he knows it better than the visitors, and he makes sure they know it. He’s annoyed, bored, and arrogant.
‘His resentment is directed at certain artists and works that, under his rightful leadership, would never have found their way into the collection, but above all at the visitors and their ignorance. Beware of the Grumpy Guide.’
Over the course of the tour, Langelinck berates visitors and points fingers in their faces for checking their phones or sitting down.
Düsseldorf’s Kunstpalast museum, home to Europe’s largest glass collection, is the stomping ground of Joseph Langelinck, known as the ‘grumpy guide’
The museum advertises Langelinck’s tours, which cost £6 and last for an hour, as ‘highly unpleasant’
In spite of the rudeness, or perhaps because of it, the twice-monthly ‘Grumpy Guide’ tour has been a surprise hit, with each one since the launch in May sold out.
Anyone looking to book a spot will have to wait until next year.
‘I never insult visitors directly, based on their personality or their appearance, but I insult them as a group,’ said Carl Brandi, the performance artist who created and performs as the aggressive Langelinck, told The Guardian.
‘My contempt is directed at an inferred ignorance that may not even exist. But I try to make them feel as ignorant as possible.’
The Kunstpalast director, Felix Krämer, was inspired to commission Brandi’s act partly by the viral success of ‘rude waiter’ restaurants, such as Karen’s Diner – which closed its final UK branch this year.
The gimmicky restaurant went by the slogan ‘great food, terrible service’, and offered a deliberately unpleasant dining experience.
Staff were instructed to insult customers throughout their meal – and that included the numerous famous faces who dined there, including Kate Garraway, Denise Van Outen, and Coleen Rooney.
While Karen’s was known for its staff being rude to customers, some clips went viral of staff being accused of going ‘too far’.
Pictured: an interior view of Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, Germany
The website reads: ‘The Grumpy Guide knows everything, and above all, he knows it better than the visitors, and he makes sure they know it. He’s annoyed, bored, and arrogant’
However, it seems people have been enjoying the ‘Grumpy Guide’ museum tour.
The Guardian reported that after 70 minutes of being snapped and shouted at, most visitors had a good time.
‘I thought it was very funny and clever,’ said one visitor who had made a spontaneous visit to the gallery and tagged along on the tour.
‘The way he criticised the curation of the museum was ingenious.’
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