Virtual Reality? In a MUSEUM? Pt.1
Throughout the course of artistic and technological development, there have been emerging advancements that prove to be extremely educational. In respect to the physicality of historical artworks, Virtual Reality (VR) is one of the more relevant technological releases that is able to completely alter how visitors are educated upon a gallery visit. For the past couple of decades, museums have been using audio headsets to guide and educate their visitors. With the new addition of VR, audio guided tours are not being used as frequently. VR is a more inclusive and advanced educational tool that is a gateway for participation, and visitors are able to experience the following: actual scale and current locations, and different lighting/points of view. VR is also used educationally as a sculpting tool for art conservationists and art historians such as Jack Wasserman. Artist Bodys Isek Kingelez uses VR in one of his unique artworks, and it produces an educative aspect of kindness. Using VR ultimately improves the interaction between the viewer and the artwork. This new form of technology is intriguing to a community of all ages, and can be an easy tool to learn.
With the inclusion of VR into the gallery space, older technology such as audio headsets are being awarded labels like “old-fashioned”. The social aspect of museums has drastically changed, and this is because of the point in time where audio headsets were popular. Visitors rarely interacted with each other as they were occupied with listening to the audio tape, and maneuvering their way through the museum on their own. The atmosphere in the museum would have felt uncomfortable and awkward, and this is because if, for example, one visitor attempted to enjoy an interesting discussion with another visitor in regards to an artwork, the approached individual may be bothered by the interruption and try to find ways to escape the conversation.
On the occasion that there would be accepted interaction among the visitors, it would be “limited mostly to repeating the content of the tape to others who do not have it. There is no interaction with the narrator of the guide and his or her personal views” (7).[1] On the contrary, VR can be quite social as it is a natural conversational starter among visitors. Using their individual VR experiences, visitors are able to converse and share what their encounter had to offer.
The VR exhibitions that artists are incorporating into museums are programmed to be clear and straight forward; this allows even those who are not technologically inclined to hopefully understand what must be done (16).[2] However, it is possible that some visitors have not operated VR before going to the museum, and it can sometimes still be complicated to comprehend. Those who do not quickly grasp the concept could rely on bystanders to assist in the technological aspects, therefore creating stimulating and effective interactions. VR is beginning to bring gallery visitors together once again, and it has completely reinvented gallery interactions.
The following video includes an excerpt from an audio-guided tour at the Musée Orsay in Paris, France:
VR has widely become useful in the gallery setting because it gives spectators the ability to experience specific artworks in their actual scale and original locations. Museums are only so spacious, therefore restricting any pieces that have an incredibly large scale to be exhibited. Within the limited museum space, VR can provide a simulated environment that, for example, ancient works are located in; therefore, allowing visitors to experience the actual scale of said artwork. Mausoleums, catacombs, crypts, and sarcophagi are a few among many locations that are not always accessible to the public. An ancient work that has been converted into a VR space is the tomb of the necropolis of Treselle (fig. 1). Visitors are capable of exploring the virtual tomb with its “Bruttian burials, and visualize and manipulate its contents, such as bronze and iron weapons (bronze belts, spearheads, javelins), pottery, drinking cups (skyphoi, kylikes, bowls, cups), and dishes (plates, paterae)” (14).[3] Given that visitors have access to nearly every aspect of the tomb, they are able to indulge in their surrounding artifacts and retain every morsel of information that can be discovered. Using VR builds the necessary “narrative that highlights integral connections between physical and virtual cultural heritage” (3)[4] , and therefore increases the educational aspect of the museum.
Figure 1. Reconstruction of the Necropolis of Treselle
[1] Andrea Bandelli, Virtual Spaces and Museums, (The Journal of Museum Education, 1999), 102.
[2] Loris Barbieri, Virtual Museum System Evaluation through User Studies, (Journal of Cultural Heritage, 2017), 102.
[3] Loris Barbieri, Virtual Museum System, 102.
[4] Thuong Hoang, Alternating Reality: An Interweaving Narrative of Physical and Virtual Cultural Exhibitions, (2017), 403.