Every day, thousands of people intently gaze at a famous painting, searching for something the painter never actually depicted: a dark gray paw print. The game is called VANFROG.ART and originated in Massa, Tuscany, at the hands of a teacher.

Who is behind it?

Renato Basteri is a support teacher at the Scuola secondaria di primo grado Alfieri Bertagnini in Massa, and a digital artist. The project grew at the intersection of school, gaming, and digital creativity. It never left an agency or studio, and that changes how we interpret what he has achieved so far.

How the game works

The main characters are two. René Vanfrog is a smiling green frog with blue eyes and blue glasses. Julie is a shy, dark gray duckling with red cheeks, an orange beak and feet, black eyes, and a small tuft of hair.

The dynamic is simple:

• Julie hides within great works of art history.
• René asks the public for help in finding her.
• Whoever finds it first chooses, between two options, the frame for the next game.
• Later, in Reels and in the “L’Angolo del Prof” section, Renato explains who the artist was, what technique was used, and some interesting facts about the artwork.

The game serves as a pretext. To find Julie, the person needs to stop in front of the image and notice reflections, shadows, and details that go unnoticed in a quick glance. It's an exercise in observation disguised as a game, and that's what sustains the project.