Special Report from Germany!

Animation by Jakob and Klim. Gif by Skyla Choi

«#MetKids from all around the world create their very own masterpieces inspired by The Met collection! Two #MetKids from Germany, a country in northwestern Europe, discovered the torso of a bodhisattva on the #MetKids Map and brought the Buddhist hero to life in an animation! We asked our friends, Klim and Jakob, about what inspired their story.»

Probably Sahri-Bahlol Workshop. Torso of a bodhisattva, ca. 5th century. Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara, modern Peshawar region). Schist, H. 64 1/2 in. (163.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1995 (1995.419)

#MetKids Team: When did you make your first animation?

Klim: I made my first animation when I was five. Now I'm eight and a half. Pretty experienced!

Jakob: The torso of a bodhisattva animation was my first one!

#MetKids Team: A bodhisattva is a kind of Buddhist superhero, who aids people who suffer by helping them to reach enlightenment. Can you think of any superheroes in books, games, or videos that are like a bodhisattva and help people who are suffering?

Jakob: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or I am a Hero (Ich bin ein Held), a book from the Netherlands about a boy who saves his dad.

Animation made by Klim and Jakob at Studio Zuckerwattenkrawatten

#MetKids Team: What was your favorite part about making the animation about the torso of a bodhisattva?

Klim: The bodhisattva statue was originally 10 feet tall. I liked comparing the size of it to different things. Now I know that if I see a very small submarine one day, it might be the same size!

Jakob: I liked making the submarine and, of course, the dinosaur!

#MetKids Team: Are you still making animations? If so, we would love to hear about the latest one.

Jakob: I haven't made another animation, but I'd like to!

Klim: Yes, I am still doing animations. The last one we made together with other children was one about a microbe who was literally the last microbe of the world. His friends were isolated and he sat on a stone and felt very lonely.

#MetKids Team: What kinds of people, places, and things inspire you to make animations?

Jakob: Stories like Star Wars inspire me.

Klim: My teacher motivates me. We think of the different worlds that little creatures, like ants, live in. I like fantasizing about their worlds because I am too big to explore them. I imagine what an ant's apartment looks like, what furniture and plates he has there. I would like to make my next animation about him.

Special thanks to Studio Zuckerwattenkrawatten.

Create your own story inspired by a work of art at The Met. Explore the Map or hop in the Time Machine on #MetKids to find inspiration. Then, ask an adult to email your story to metkids@metmuseum.org for a chance to have it featured in an upcoming blog post!

Check out our Made By Kids videos to see even more animations inspired by artworks at The Met.