Modernised Masterpiece… Michelangelo’s David and Rodin’s The Thinker Reimagined as Domestic Gods

Statues take over London hotspots as new research reveals many men find domestic appliances confusing

• Spot the difference: World-famous renaissance sculptures reinvented for the modern age in a bold new creative campaign that showcases the design credentials and long-lasting durability of Samsung’s Home Appliances
• Michelangelo’s David sports a pair of briefs and takes charge of the weekly wash while Rodin’s The Thinker is deep in thought, pondering how to operate a washing machine
• New statues also tease new research revealing the real reasons behind male reluctance when it comes to domestic chores

Two of the world’s most famous male statues have been spectacularly reimagined as domestic gods for a bold new Samsung campaign.

The figures, which have been installed around central London, feature near-identical versions of the original masterpieces bar a few unmissable tweaks.

Michelangelo’s David has been recreated wearing briefs, with a shirt flung over his back, as he takes charge of the weekly wash while Rodin’s ‘The Thinker’ poses, deep in contemplation at a washing machine.

Each statue took a six-strong design team two months to create, working from a variety of sources to recreate a faithful rendition of each sculpture in microscopic detail.  The reimagined statues of iconic male nudes give a humorous nod to revealing new Samsung research which found that 75% of men have little or no idea how to operate the domestic appliances they have at home.

The original David, located in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, took Michelangelo more than two years to build and weighs the equivalent of eighty men. Rodin’s bronze sculpture The Thinker, revered for its contemplative posture, resides at the Musée Rodin in Paris.

The new artworks are of course, open to interpretation – just as the original Thinker invites us to debate as to whether he is in either a contemplative or mourning pose, Samsung’s modernized male subject could be interpreted as being in a state of confusion, as he ponders which wash cycle to select.

Samsung’s ‘Modern Masterpieces’ campaign has been designed to highlight the durability and flawlessly-rendered design credentials of their Home Appliance range which includes the revolutionary QuickDrive^TM washing machines featured in the sculptures.

Samsung’s QuickDrive^TM washing machine went through over 150 different tests (tested thousands of times over), before being released to market.

Ruth Storey, Head of Marketing for Home Appliances, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland, said:

“We have updated these classic sculptures in a playful bid to remind the public that our home appliances are masterpieces of modern design.

“Our Home Appliance products^[1] are tested thousands of times and come with at least a 5-year warranty, underpinning our confidence in delivering products that – like the iconic statues – are built to last.”

The new Samsung research provides a fresh take on gender differences when it comes to housework. It appears that men are suffering from ‘FODA’, a male condition involving a fear of domestic appliances.

Three quarters (75%) of men admitted to being clueless when it comes to using domestic appliances compared to just 39% of women, and over half of the men surveyed (51%) admitted to having put off a household task because they found the domestic appliance too confusing to use.

It appears that the washing machine instils the most fear in men, with 63% admitting to being completely stumped when trying to work out washing machine settings and laundry care symbols. In fact, when faced with the task of deciphering fabric care label symbols – such as ‘Do Not Tumble Dry’ and ‘Delicate Wet Clean’ – men scored worse than women on 9 out of 10 questions.

The statues of Domestic David and The Clean Thinker have been installed at central London locations including One New Change, Kings Cross, Russell Square and Battersea Park.

Domestic David is available to view at the following times/locations:

One New Change – 3-4 October

Battersea Park – 5-8 October

The Clean Thinker is available to view at the following times/locations:

Russell Square – 3-5 October

Kings Cross Station – 7-8 October

To find out more about Samsung’s Home Appliances, visit

https://www.samsung.com/uk/quickdrive/

[1]by redemption within 90 days of purchase. Warranty length varies by product. Ts and Cs apply.