May 18, International Museum Day

Synopsis

Experts discuss how the current digital world supports museums on this international museum day.

visitors at prado museum on the first day indoor mask requirements in spain were partially lifted in madrid

Despite the fact that offline museums around the world have faced extraordinary hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, people’s desire for museums has not waned.

Online museum visits are becoming more popular in China. Because people are being encouraged to stay at home due to COVID-19 outbreaks, museums have devised virtual exhibitions and online experiences that allow people to enjoy the appeal of museums from thousands of miles away.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control efforts, the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, had an online opening ceremony and virtual exhibitions last year.

According to Zhu Yarong, deputy curator of the museum, about 160,000 people liked the series online within an hour of the digital inauguration ceremony. The Palace Museum in Beijing has been using cutting-edge technology to breathe new life into its historic structures. Since 2018, the Palace Museum’s digital and information department has collaborated with professional mapping teams to collect location information for over 600 buildings, exhibition halls, and service facilities in the open area, and has launched a mini programme utilising GPRS navigation, LBS placement new tech, and 360-degree panoramic technology. The programme, now known as “Open Wisdom,” has been regularly updated to improve the user experience.

As the link between offline and online is decreasing every day due to the technological empowerment, museums and exhibitions are no longer confined to a physical place according to Zheng Yi, curator of Fudan University Museum.

According to Xinhuanet, museums throughout the country created over 2,000 online exhibitions in response to the pandemic in 2020, generating over 5 billion visits. To attract visitors of all ages, more museums are turning to online means.

This is indeed a great empowerment programme setup to be able to stick to the roots also being technologically advanced.

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