Hermès will open “Mystery at the Groom’s,” its second interactive installation, at Pier 36 in midtown Manhattan.
The installation had already made its highly successful debut in Shanghai late last year and will then continue in Tokyo, Singapore and finally Paris.
It is a playful and immersive experience that celebrates the brand’s equestrian heritage, its history, its craftsmanship and its taste for whimsical yet highly refined narratives.
The installation will be available from Thursday through June 29 and will be free for visitors who must register to secure a spot.
The game has been advertised through ads in the New York Times and The New Yorker, and with posters that currently cover the walls of the nearest subway station, on East Broadway.
So far, about 25,000 people have signed up to participate, the company said.
But what is it exactly about ?
Hermès’ idea is to invite the public to visit a residence where stable hands live with horses. But there’s a mystery to solve: the horses have disappeared, and it’s up to the visitors to find them hidden among the objects on the set.
Players explore the rooms in search of each hidden horse, while the voice of equestrian detective Mr. Honore (who, not coincidentally, is named after the street in Paris where the first Hermès store was located) guides them in their search.
The installation consists of six beautifully detailed rooms and players have seven minutes in each to find as many hidden horses as possible. There are five horses hidden in each room and horseshoes on the floor guide players from one room to the next.
Despite the presence of a head groom, a woman named Maeleine Galop, and other grooms present to provide hints, the game is challenging and engaging.
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Hermès products are seamlessly integrated into each room, also acting as props and highlighting the versatility and artistry of the house’s design. The experience is timed, adding a sense of urgency to the mission, and those who find the horses receive a branded notebook and coloring book as a reward.
“Playing means being together. Play is movement, freedom, imagination, fantasy, lightness…and the horse is our first companion in the playground of creation.” explained Pierre-Alexis Dumas, artistic director of Hermès, about the experience of Mystery at the Groom’s.
