Augmented Reality and Museums

Ever imagine going to a museum exhibit, where there is nothing actually physically exhibited? Well, think about this: augmented reality museum exhibits, where you can view "digital works of art" that aren't physically present.

In October, 2010, two artists created a "virtual exhibition of digital works" in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. MoMA had no involvement with exhibition, but the experiment, as part of the Conflux Festival, was used by the artists as a way to investigate the impact of augmented reality on public and private spaces. The artists hosted their own digital works, and invited " all AR artists worldwide to place their virtual artworks within the walls of the MoMA." Regular visitors of MoMA were not able to see the exhibition, as it was required to have an app called "Layar" downloaded on a smart phone to see it. "Uninvited" guests piled into the museum to check out what the hype was all about. Check out this video from Arts and Culture Marketing blog of visitors who attended this digital exhibition:

Even though this particular exhibit was uninvited, imagine the possibilities and opportunities museums have from using augmented reality. To be able to show works of art without them being physically present is a truly useful and fun idea. It is also a way to bring "digital art" into museums in a fun and creative way. Of course, AR can have it's disadvantages, and the artists focus on AR's impact on public and private space is interesting. If these artists can create an entire exhibit, and invite AR "artists" from around the world to showcase their digital art in said exhibit, who knows what the next person might use AR for in a museum. It opens an entirely new world that is unregulated - and one that may be unwanted, from museum goers and museum owners alike.

Although augmented reality is an entirely separate new media issue, it is interesting to explore the possibilities it can have in museums. I imagine walking through an open space in a museum, using augmented reality, to view a different era. To see and learn about a different time period of our world. The ideas and fun opportunities that could come from using AR in museums is something that I'm sure will be explored in more and more detail as new media becomes more prominent and more advanced in our society - and it may spark more interest and bring more people to museums!

Sources:

Arts and Culture Marketing blog

Wired article: Augmented Reality: AR Uninvited at MoMA NYC

Museum Next: Augmented Reality in the Museum