Virtual museums, or when fiction becomes reality.
Virtual museums are an entirely universal, fascinating, highly informative, and simply fantastic tool with an inexhaustible range of applications.
First, let us understand what virtual museums are, and then we will explain why they inspire us so much.
So, Wikipedia competently explains: “Virtuality (Latin virtualis — possible) — an imagined object or state that does not actually exist but may arise under certain conditions.” If we rely solely on this definition, it is not entirely accurate in the case of virtual museums. After all, a virtual museum can be an exact replica of a real one and/or showcase actual existing exhibits. This allows anyone who wishes but cannot personally visit the world’s famous museums to explore them virtually. 3D modeling has reached such a high level of detail that it seems if you touch the image, you can feel the texture of the paint with which the artist created their masterpiece.
Now, why do we admire virtual museums so much? In our era of visually spoiled audiences, static images have become less attractive, even if they are the work of true geniuses. It is no coincidence that for several years successful tours of exhibitions like "Living Masterpieces" have never ceased. That is where interest in art ignites in everyone, including those who write the word "art" with only one "s."
Just imagine that you have no limitations at all in creating your own museum. An international virtual museum of umbilical hair balls. The exhibition "Across the Universe" with virtual visits to the planets of the Solar System and exploration of real samples gathered by humanity over many years of space exploration. And communication with the local population. So what if it does not really exist? Nobody, by the way, is 100% sure about that. Breathing on some Mars is also impossible, and no foot has ever actually stepped there — yet here you are, breathing while “standing” and examining a shimmering lilac bed of Asphercus babblers on the edge of a red crater.
You can open a virtual museum that does not exist in the real world, where all the exhibits are things that simply cannot exist. A walk through such a museum is not just streaming social media feeds but a virtual adventure that skillfully combines many functions — it entertains, captivates, and motivates further exploration (which is especially important in education), explains in detail, develops artistic taste, stimulates imagination and fantasy, shapes perception, teaches, and simply evokes EMOTIONS. Emotional detachment, although a true companion of modern humans, does not flatter us. Virtual museums help to overcome this affliction. Any passion requires analysis, comparison, and exchange of impressions — this is how communities of interest are formed. Emotions. Communication. Connection.
Sometimes it takes years to finally visit a real museum. And still, life gets in the way… You don’t have to go anywhere to visit a virtual museum. You don’t even have to “head in its direction.” Just turn it on, and welcome to the magical world of the virtual exhibition!
Knowledge begins with wonder, or The extraordinary possibilities of virtual museums.
“It is important not only what to show, but how to show it.”
— M. Pukarsky.
To clearly explain the difference between virtual and real museums, let us recall a famous story. About how the Russian artist Alexander Ivanov, living under the blue contrasting Italian sky, dreamed of being called to Russia to paint the then-under-construction Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Immersed in his iconographic creative dreams, the master accidentally created a vast collection of watercolors and graphics. Most of these were titled “Biblical Sketches” and were included in many catalogs. In the winter of 2006, at Ivanov’s anniversary exhibition, projections of his works were suddenly shown greatly enlarged, roughly to the size they would have been if displayed on the walls of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which the artist had long dreamed of painting. The result produced a genuine wow effect: visitors could see the painter’s works in a completely new light — not merely shifting their perspective but entirely transforming it!
This is how one can attract universal attention, not just the exclusive bohemian gaze, to works of art! Showing both what is expected and what the viewer could never have imagined! The possibilities of virtual museums are truly limitless — from the number of exhibits to the ways they are presented. Image projections can be displayed anywhere and in any manner — on solid surfaces, clouds, holographically, kinetically — the options are numerous, limited only by imagination. The image of a museum as a dull room hung with paintings and populated by quiet, refined grandmothers dozing on chairs by the doors is becoming obsolete. Today, virtual museums are perceived as entertainment that is also highly useful and educational.
Another advantage of virtual museums is their interactivity. Visitors are free to approach exhibits closely (simply by pinching a 3D image with fingers). The way information is delivered can be chosen freely: listen to an audio tour or chat with a virtual assistant, browse themed images or watch several videos, study historical facts or read the latest news about the exhibit, participate in a quest, play a game, or solve a crossword puzzle, for instance. The variety of ways a virtual museum can engage visitors far exceeds what is possible for guests in a real museum. Virtual museums undoubtedly help people immerse themselves more deeply in art, revealing its essence clearly, in detail, and in the most user-friendly manner. Thus, virtual museums, like real ones, fulfill a vital mission: they help attract humanity’s attention to the world’s cultural heritage and make it accessible to everyone interested.
An unexpected side effect of virtual museums is the ability to visit exhibits alone, without the forced interaction with strangers (which is almost inevitable in a real museum, especially near famous exhibits). This has become quite relevant in our age of messengers, social networks, apps, and contactless delivery. A guest of a virtual museum can independently choose their guide. And then shamelessly pile up snacks and soda in their own bed while listening to the story of the Mona Lisa’s creation, zooming in on the mysterious smile of the virtual original until every brushstroke by the great Da Vinci is visible.
“The Halls of the Mind,” or The virtual museum menu.
Imagine you are in a real museum listening to a guide when suddenly your mind clings to an exhibit. Transparently, almost subconsciously, and in the background, you begin analyzing everything you can remember about it. Until a clear interest awakens within you, steadily forming into pure unclouded curiosity. Then it grows heavier until, finally, it falls on your head like Newton’s apple. And that’s it. You dive deeper and deeper into the abyss of your freshly born thoughts, completely losing connection with the exhibition.
A virtual museum is not only an exhibition but essentially the very same Sherlockian “halls of the mind,” a complete informational system. In this case, it is the halls of the mind of each visitor to the virtual museum. The mechanism is simple and logical, as mechanical things are: you become fascinated by an exhibit or a thought it sparks. In the virtual menu, you immediately find all the information you want while continuing to explore the museum halls and exhibitions. Collections may be from not just one museum but systematized and categorized exhibits from museums around the world. Visiting them in real life would take months! Emerging questions can take you in any direction, but you will always find answers in the virtual museum or virtual tour menu. Thus, a virtual museum not only functions as an exhibition, i.e., a display, but also activates memory, stimulates and guides your own thoughts, uncovering entire layers of information in the farthest corners of your brain.
Creating virtual museums.
We know how and love to create virtual museums. We are inspired by their inexhaustible possibilities, offering boundless scope for creative expression. Our experience began with creating small virtual tours and installations for company booths at exhibitions and forums of all levels. Gradually becoming more and more passionate, we have acquired many skills, methods, and tools that now enable us to create unique virtual museums for any purpose.