Virtual museums expand the exhibit

The Future. A virtual museum called VOMA (Virtual Online Museum of Art) is pushing the boundaries of what can be shown in a museum… namely, pieces from all around the world or ones that don’t even exist anymore. With VR technology making VOMA even more interactive, top physical museums may even create their own digital destinations in order to house all the art they’ve displayed over the years.

Start the art
Museums are undergoing a digital revolution.

• Developed by British artist Stuart Semple, VOMA is an online museum made using Unreal Engine that recreates the in-person museum experience.
• The museum, which can be rearranged and expanded endlessly, is free to visit, includes “two large galleries full of art, an outdoor sculpture pavilion, and an artist space for performance pieces.”

VOMA currently features a Banksy piece on a wall in Palestine, a Diego Rivera fresco from NYC that was destroyed, and a reconstructed Monumental Arch of Palmyra from Syria, which ISIS destroyed in 2015.

Cross your 1s, dot your 0s
Even in a virtual landscape, Semple and his team are following all the same protocols any physical museum would have to. According to Wired, “copyright and image rights organizations like DACS are involved, as are artists’ estates, which means color reproduction, framing, and lighting are scrutinized by multiple parties, much as they would be with a physical loan.” That means patrons can expect the same level of care as they would at any other destination.

VOMA may still only average 500 visitors a day, but with the right outreach, VOMA could attract a worldwide crowd… and no one ever has to stand in line.