The year 2020 will not be only remembered as the yearof ‘porch singing culture’, but also as the one that opened up the world population to the possibility of consuming high culture and visiting museums from all over the world without even getting off the couch. Orpan Group, which specializes in designing and establishing museums and visitor centers, uses a variety of technological means that allow the show to continue every day and every hour – even remotely.
Everything you wanted to know about the virtual culture world
Let’s face it: The Corona virus caught us off guard! We were right in the middle of an important project at work, just before the spring semester at university or we just started planning our upcoming spring break. But instead of busy resorts, March 2020 left more than a third of the world’s population confined to their homes, in what seemed to be the greatest sick leave of human history ever known.
In the days when love is distant and fraternity is isolation, there are also those who have the wisdom to make limoncello from the lemons life gave us. Alongside the flourishing of applications for online meetings, learning and working remotely, this is also the beautiful hour of museums and cultural and leisure institutions, which are currently gaining momentum. What’s easier than consuming a high culture without leaving the doorway?
The trend of making museums accessible to the general public, including for people who are unable to visit museums and attractions, has begun even before the outbreak of the global epidemic. Yaron Meiri, founder and owner of Orpan Group, which specializes in establishing museums and visitor centers around the world, explains: “For many years we have been designing and adding a virtual layer to support the museumexperience. The global COVID-19 crisis that has caused the closure of physical recreation and leisure space, has contributed to a significant acceleration and expansion of this trend, so that we can all now enjoy its fruits. ”
Many museums and sites seek to allow virtual visitors to have a cultural experience without leaving their home. How do you do that? It turns out that there are quite a few creative ways to access the museum experience and allow cultural consumers to experience it remotely through a virtual visit.
Access Collections: The gateway to the digital cultural world
Get to know Google Art and Culture with millions of museum items, courtesy of 1,200 high-quality museums from around the world. Respectable museums such as the Museum of Modern Art of New York, the Van Gogh Museum, the British Museum and The National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, have already opened their doors to online viewers and are available to any visitor. All that remains is to scan the various collections and begin to apply the artistic sense. Viewers who have long become art critics, will also be able to witness different displays in 3D technology like the one offered by The Minneapolis Institute of Art .
The next generation‘s visit: 360 Tour
Many places want us not only to be exposed to the content they offer, but also to feel the physical experience of visiting the place. These sites invite visitors to a virtual tour within the museum’s own space, where we can wander through the various galleries and exhibitions. (Benefit: The visit can start with Google Street View, which saves us travel and makes us feel like we’re right there). For example, anyone who connects to their natural and calm side is invited to walk around the Natural History Museum in New York, where they dwell on thousands of exhibits related to the flora and fauna. And anyone looking for a little more action, is invited to the National Museum of theUS Air Force to roam the site among various different models that have been used over the years, and get a closer look when they show up.
Tutorials and explanations: Sometimes we DO need a thousand words
A purely individual-visual experience and impression is important, but for some topics and for visitors seeking to deepen the experience, there are museums and sites that allow a tour accompanied by comprehensive voice guidance or verbal explanations of the exhibits, collections or exhibitions. These operate from a notion that not only the exhibit itself needs access, and that in order to get the best museum experience,viewers from the living room have to understand what they are seeing.
In its 360 tour, the National Museum of Computing directs videos that reveal the viewer to fascinating facts that help us get an idea of the world of computers and hardware. This is how NASA’s visitor site works, too. Those who have already shown a fondness for space affairs can witness the spectacular images that Telescope Abel discovered in its lenses with a built-in explanation.
There are also museums that cater to the sound level. For example, the Tower of David Museum allows for a comprehensive 360 tour experience on the site, while listening to detailed voice guidance on the fort’s historical past. There are also some who broadcast photographic tutorials like the New England Aquarium and demonstrate to us how to feed octopuses (don’t try it at home!). The same place, by the way, offers print activities for the children he has prepared. We did not forget that you also received the children in the social isolation package.
Not only from the stadium: Live from the museum
The next step in terms of experience is the “here” and “now”. Recorded instruction is nothing like one that is being delivered live, which is instantiated. The feeling of immediacy seemingly makes the need for physical presence unnecessary. The days of the COVID 19 are obviously the finest hour of social networking, providing a live glimpse into the exhibits that have found themselves orphans from visitors.
In the past, during periods when social isolation was not a part of reality, the Automobile and Fashion Museum in Malaga (Museo Automovilístico de Málaga) accepted the Orpan Group’s proposal to run an array of Gopro webcam instructors, who delivered live interactive lectures and stopped for surfers’ questions. The Grammy Museum publishes its lectures and talks live on its website. There are places where the experience makesthe instructors unnecessary, such as watching the huge Smithssonian’s National Zoo panda or a glimpse of the penguin space at the Georgia Aquarium, all in live!
The surprising time imposed on all of us has unlimited possibilities for expanding the curiosity, knowledge and aesthetic sense of all family members. This is your chance to make a cup of coffee, relax in your armchair, and embark on a fascinating cultural journey between the various and varied museum sites, just before returning to the daily race and busy routine. Pleasant tour!
Written by Jeff Zuroff
