articles...
MA ADA 2007 > articles > Web art museum vs. Traditional art museum
Web art museum vs. Traditional art museum
May 3, 06:24 PM · Jo Choi
Museums conserve and display for purposes of studying education and enjoying collections of objects of cultural or scientific significance. (ICOM, UNESCO) In recent decades, they have undergone vast and rapid social and cultural changes owing to the birth of innovative developments in the Art world. Different museums have their distinct missions, whereas they share a common traditional goal for cultural development and enlightenment of people. Due to the rapid technological growth, many digital galleries and web art museums emerged. This emergence does fulfill the traditional mission. They select, collect, preserve and make accessible ‘the accumulated wisdom of the world’ by offering broad public access to a wide range of aesthetic, historical and cultural documents that ‘enable individuals to pursue learning at their own personal levels of interest, preparation, ability and desire, and help ensure the free trade in ideas and the right of dissent.’ (NYPL Digital Gallery) Besides, they also deliver diverse online exhibitions showing high-quality artworks and provide marketing places for promoting and selling artifacts. Artworks on digital galleries are created with graphics programs that are highly realistic or hypermediated. It often generates a fantastic effect. A strong sense for immediacy and dreaming imagination can be gained. (Bolter and Grusin 2000) Ippolito also states that despite the constraints on bandwidth and processor speed, it sometimes conversely encourage digital artworks to be made for distributing content rather than linear narrative, and seeking conceptual elegance rather than theatrical overkill. Therefore, digital galleries and web art museums can well co-exist with traditional museums.
The Country Artist
The Internet Art Gallery
Undoubtedly, the existence of digital galleries and museums benefit the development of museum-works. However, one should not be overlooked that visiting traditional museum physically is still an invaluable and relaxing learning journey. We experience real objects and create our artworks – all can explore our creativity and make a lasting impression. (Burcaw 1997; Chris Smith and David Blunkett 2000) Indeed, the status of traditional museum cannot be substituted. On the contrary, for the digital galleries and museums, the balance of techniques and education and who should have the professional right to manage them are vital issues to be seriously considered. Besides, I agree with Gauntlett that digital arts, its reproducible artworks and its side-effect on people of visiting museums physically, somewhat help undermine the ‘aura’ in traditional museums.
References:
Burcaw George Ellis. (1997). Introduction to museum work, Walnut Creek, Calif. ; London: Altamira Press.
Gauntlett D. and Horsley R. (2004). Web.Studies, New York: Edward Arnold (Publishers) Limited.
Great Britain. Dept. for Culture, Media and Sport. (2000). The learning power of museums: a vision for museum education, London: Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Education and Employment.
Jon Ippolito (2002). Ten Myths of Internet Art. Source: LEONARDO, Vol. 35. No. 5, pp. 485-498. Last accessed: 05.04.2007
Comment
Commenting is closed for this article.