Dylaby (Dynamic Labyrinth), 1962 was an experimental exhibition conceived by Willem Sandberg, director of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, in close collaboration with Jean Tinguely. Together, they transformed the museum into a disorienting, playful environment that rejected traditional exhibition formats in favor of active participation. Rather than presenting discrete artworks, Dylaby functioned as an immersive labyrinth that visitors had to physically navigate, encountering movement, noise, darkness, and unexpected obstacles along the way.

Sandberg’s vision emphasized accessibility, participation, and the democratization of the museum experience, while Tinguely’s contribution embodied the kinetic, anarchic spirit of the project through machines, found materials, and performative chaos. Dylaby replaced passive spectatorship with bodily engagement, encouraging visitors to climb, wander, play, and even co-create. Anticipating key developments of 1960s art, the exhibition foregrounded experience, environment, and play over the autonomous art object, positioning the museum itself as a dynamic, experimental space.

_
BURLEIGH, Paula. Ludic Labyrinths: Strategies of Disruption. Stedelijk Studies Journal, v. 7, 2018. Available at: https://stedelijkstudies.com/journal/ludic-labyrinths-strategies-of-disruption/.