IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Suwatchai Songwanich
Many museums across China remain shuttered, having closed their doors early this year to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. However, a number are now adopting technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), animation and games to enable people to engage in digital cultural experiences without leaving their homes.
The State Administration of Cultural Heritage has launched online museums on its official Weibo account and is showcasing online exhibition resources for museums across the country. Meanwhile, Dunhuang Academy China, which is responsible for overseeing the Mogao Caves — a Unesco World Heritage Site — has joined Tencent to offer a special animated drama series based on mural paintings, which people can enjoy via their mobile phones as well as record soundbites for the characters.
At the same time, the National
Museum of China has teamed up with Pantene shampoo to launch a creative video based on the famous painting “Qian Qiu Jue Yan Tu”, which is part of the museum’s collection.
In Thailand, the Fine Arts Department has launched a virtual museum project through the website www.virtualmuseum.finearts.go.th to offer the public a chance to explore exhibitions and collections of many Thai museums online for free.
In a global context, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has recently announced the release of five
Online exhibitions lower barriers to cultural appreciation for those who cannot afford to visit museums
new virtual tours of historic sites, adding to a variety of online adventures that you can enjoy at home.
Apart from eliminating the need for queuing and crowding and reducing the risk of being exposed to the coronavirus, these online exhibitions offer various benefits such as lowering barriers to cultural appreciation for those who cannot afford or don’t normally access the museums. In addition, they are open around the clock, so millions of visitors can freely visit the exhibits anytime from anywhere.
Undoubtedly these online exhibitions are a good way to help museums remain relevant to people during this pandemic. However, some people wonder if it will change the face of the museum industry in the long run and if these technological advances will stop people from visiting physical museums. Others say these online exhibitions help build relationships between museums and younger audiences who are digital natives.
In my view, these online showcases will help build awareness of the exhibits with millions of people around the world and create more excitement about upcoming physical exhibitions for people to look forward to once the pandemic is over.