I am the director of design & interaction at Studio Volpi in Milan, Italy, with a branch office in Shanghai.

I read the article titled “Museum Development Witnesses Moderate Prosperity” in the December issue of China Today’s culture column. As far as I know, the Chinese people’s yearning for a better life has evolved from merely meeting basic necessities to satisfying intellectual needs while embracing the arrival of an allaround well-off society. The number of museums in Shanghai keeps rising. In addition to stateowned museums, there are also various other kinds of museums such as joint-stock and private museums. My studio is located in Shanghai, where the Long Museum and the Yuz Museum – among the best of their kind – were opened by a Chinese-indonesian entrepreneur. Once a country reaches a certain development stage, there will be an increased interest among individuals or companies in investing heavily in the field of the arts and culture through museums, the result of which can complement the state-owned or public museums to enhance the level of urban civilization. What’s more, museums have utilized new platforms and cutting-edge technologies such as animation, VR, and AR to provide holographic images, virtual touch interfaces, and immersive experience services, drawing hoards of museum fans. While relaxing at home, in addition to enjoying virtual experiences of digital exhibitions of various museums, people can also participate in public courses related to museums that are usually provided on-site.

Patrizio Cionfoli

Italy