MOOPMatter out of PlaceIn development · 2026
MOOP

Matter out of Place

MOOP is a living map of art and cultural objects: where they were made, where they are now, and the journeys in between.

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The MOOP prototype showing the provenance trail of the Cannon of Kandy, from Kandy via Batavia and Amsterdam back to Colombo
Provenance trails in the MOOP prototype: the Cannon of Kandy, returned to Sri Lanka in 2023. Map data © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap.

Why

Objects travel.

Artworks and cultural objects are often made in one place and held in another: collected, sold, gifted or taken. Most of the world's collections are never on display, and their histories are hard to follow.

MOOP puts those objects back on the map, so anyone can see where they came from and how they got to where they are now.

The prototype

Three ways in.

  • Explore collections

    Browse works from open museum collections, including the Met, the Rijksmuseum and Te Papa, pinned to where they are held.

  • Follow provenance trails

    Trace a single object from where it was made to where it is now, with the stops in between.

  • See where things stand

    Each object is marked by its status, with a short note on its history.

    Contested Restituted In collection

Try it at moop-web.vercel.app

Progress

Built in stages.

  1. 2024–25Brand, archive design and 3D capture research, supported by Innovate UK through its Creative Catalyst programme.
  2. April 2026Web prototype live: a map of works drawn from open museum collection data.
  3. Now NewProvenance trails, starting with 15 objects such as the Cannon of Kandy.
  4. 2027 PlannedBefore the Brief: testing MOOP's mapping with artists and communities in an international arts lab with Culturans, Mexico City.

About

Who's behind it.

MOOP Ltd is a UK cultural technology company founded by Jack Baker. Jack has spent ten years in the art world as an installation technician and technical consultant, including as technical advisor on season 5 of Netflix's Black Mirror.

Get in touch: jack@moop-app.com