It was the year 1804 - the Mona Lisa had been hanging in Napoleon Bonapart's bedroom in the Tuileries for 4 years. Soon, the Mona Lisa was installed in the Grand Gallery of the Louvre in Paris. As of 2024, it remains there, available for anyone to gaze at for a mere €17.
The coolest part about art and museums is that history and future co-exist here.
5 years ago, virtual artist Anna Dream Brush, also known as Anna Zhilyaeva performed at the Louvre. In her YouTube video, she can be seen stepping into a virtual dimension, painting the scenes of a French revolt in 3D.
The most fascinating part about her performance is that none of us have to fly to Paris or travel back in the past to enjoy Anna’s art in the creation process. People from all across the world are free to view it at any given time on their smartphones - all possible through the wonderful gift of technology.
This is a growing revolution in the art industry, where technology is making art accessible to global audiences. No longer is the artist restricted by their locations. Tech-friendly exhibitions are the culmination of this revolution - where art and the artist are celebrated beyond languages and cultures.
This brings us to our topic of discussion: How to design a tech-friendly museum exhibition in 2024.
Let’s find out.
Step 1 - Digitize Your Collections to Increase Visitor Interest
Last year, around this time, London witnessed its first-ever story-based immersive art experience - Illusionaries, a 40-minute transformative journey across three galleries - Epilogue, Before the Meaning Comes, and Primordial Gardeners.
All three set in immersive 360-degree projections, invite visitors to interact with themes of greed, jealousy, and fear, followed by captivating concepts of memory and connection, as well as engage their senses in a serene atmosphere, in a three-part sequence.
On its website, the online gallery incentivizes museum enthusiasts to experience the exclusive form of art in-person.
But, why does it work?
The beautiful online gallery of its explorative collections tempts the audience to witness it in person on a lazy Sunday morning, urging them to buy a ticket.
So, dear artist, do note the importance of digitalizing exhibits and online galleries, if you want to increase footfall in your collection.
Step 2 - Have Multilingual Audio Guides for International Audiences
“Germans, Spanish, French, Arabs, Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Portuguese, Russians, Americans, Brazilians, Turkish, Argentinians, Swiss, Greek…all are welcome at my exhibition.”
I believe we can all agree that the above is a terrible invitation.
So, if you are an artist hosting an exhibition at a museum, how do you make sure that tourists visiting your city are interested in your collection?
Nelson Mandela said, "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart."
The answer you’re looking for is - multilingual audio guides.
Museums22 equips a museum with audio guides that are accessible in all popular languages for wide reach across diverse audiences.
Apart from its multilingual benefits, a study published in the Smithsonian American Art Museum highlights that audio tours allow visitors a more personalized experience. Such tours augment engagement and retention of information and elevate overall visitor satisfaction. Moreover, their accessibility to individuals with disabilities, makes museums more inclusive and recommendable.
Step 3 - Attract Younger Audiences through VR/AR
Back in 2017, kids were running around their neighborhoods, immersed in their phones, to “catch” digital creatures on Pokémon Go.
So, if you want to attract Gen Z to your exhibition, your best bet would be VR and AR.
These are two of the most used words in 2024, but let's understand what they mean.
Virtual reality offers an immersive dive into a completely simulated world, enveloping users in a digitally constructed environment that is often miles away from their physical surroundings.
Augmented Reality, on the other hand, marries the digital and the real. It layers computer-generated enhancements atop our physical world, enriching the real-life landscape with digital elements without uprooting us from it.
At Museums22, we’ve noticed that museum mobile apps are also quite popular amongst the younger crowds. After all, they spend over seven hours a day on their devices.
Through our innovative collaboration, we developed an audio guide app for Guru Kahan Art Museum, a Jain community museum.
This app transforms the museum visit into:
An Engaging Interactive Experience: Tailored to young users' interests, it offers a fresh and immersive way to explore art and religion.
A Community Catalyst: It fosters a sense of connection and grows a dedicated community through direct engagement via notifications and newsletters.
A Sustainable Model: Our subscription-based approach ensures ongoing innovation and content notifications.
Step 4 - Use AI to Bring Life to Your Collections
To us, borderless means to transcend the borders on land. However, NASA took it a step further.
"Beyond the Light," showcased at Artechouse, renowned for its immersive digital art displays, features a captivating 25-minute cinematic experience.
Leveraging AI-driven visuals, a unique musical composition derived from cosmic data, and breathtaking visuals from the James Webb Space Telescope, this exhibition delivers an unparalleled immersive experience.
Moreover, it provides insights into the significant influence of NASA's aerospace engineering breakthroughs on everyday technology, deepening visitors' appreciation for the intricate relationship between space exploration and daily life.
Part of being a tech-friendly museum is staying updated with the latest technological developments in the market.
The most popular and important invention of 2024 is artificial intelligence. In fact, the Network of European Museum Organisations (Nemo) is recommending museums to become centers that offer spaces to learn, experience, and build knowledge about AI.
Step 5 - Automate Your Marketing with AI Tools
Another excellent use of AI is its contribution to marketing campaigns for your collections.
Here's the advantage:
When it comes to email marketing, AI is enabling us to craft emails that truly connect with our audience's behaviors and needs.
The real beauty? It frees up our marketers' time from endless research and brainstorming.
Let's be real - you're an artist. You don't deserve to waste your time figuring out the technicalities of email marketing campaigns. AI allows you time for your interests.
Additionally, through analyzing past data—like how people interact with our emails, what they buy, and how long they spend engaged with our content—AI predicts how well our marketing efforts will perform.
Step 6 - Offer Exclusivity To Your Patreons
Accenture notes that members of loyalty programs generate 12-18% more revenue annually than non-members.
That is the power of loyal followers. So, what is the equivalent of a loyalty program in the museum sector?Mobile app membership.
Do your visitors love your art and want to support you? Suggest they become patrons and stay updated with you on the museum mobile app.
Are you hosting an exhibition at the museum and want to invite your loyal fans? Send notifications through the app.
This is the strategy we applied while working with the Aviation Museum of Kentucky.
We added three cool features to the museum's app:
QR Codes: These made exploring the museum fun and easy. Visitors got curious and felt more connected to the stories behind the exhibits.
Languages: We found out who was visiting the museum and what they liked. So, we added tours in different languages. This way, more people could enjoy the stories in a way that felt right for them.
Staying Connected: The app kept everyone in touch through audio tours, updates, photo galleries, and even letting people check out the museum from home. It made everyone feel like they were part of a big family, always learning and sharing new things about aviation.
Why Museums Rely On Us For Their Digital Transformation
New things can be scary. Especially when it's not your forte.
But, together, we can sail smoothly on these waters.
This blog was full of information about how technology advances your museum, but we admit that it does come with its own set of challenges, especially without an experienced team guiding you through it.
This is where Museums22 comes in. Fortunately, we are adept in both museums and technology, to provide you with a holistic digital transformation.
Here’s what you can expect when you onboard with us:
Mobile Apps: A full app solution that goes beyond a simple audio guide, incorporating galleries, exhibitions, events, and more for enriched visitor engagement.
Audio Guide Apps: Customizable multilingual audio tours enhanced with QR code integration for an immersive narrative experience.
GPS Tours Apps: Location-sensitive, audio-guided tours that offer a personal digital tour guide experience, complete with navigational assistance and visual elements.
Web Gallery & Collection: Dynamic, web-based galleries and exhibitions that extend the museum experience to online platforms, making it accessible anywhere, anytime.
We offer a solution for each of your concerns. Get in touch today!
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