History in Pixels
CATCH introduces a fan of museums and someone who’s grown weary of them to the magic of online museums through the Singapore Philatelic Museum’s virtual tours and The Museum of the World’s interactive experience
Story by: Siti Hani Binte Jumari | Photos by: Tahiya Husain, Nur Nazurah Bte Zainol
In a world of constantly evolving technology, can online museums, with virtual reality (VR) tours and interactive websites, live up to the standards set by their physical counterparts?
In this article, we explore the Singapore Philatelic Museum’s (SPM) virtual exhibitions and the British Museum’s ‘The Museum of the World’ with the contrasting takes of a museum-lover and someone with disdain for museums.
NO SUBSTITUTIONS FOR THE CLASSIC EXPERIENCE
Tahiya Husain, an 18-year-old student awaiting university application, doesn’t think so.
“In a physical museum, information is laid out in a way that’s appealing and logical,” she said. “That’s what I enjoy, that they’re taking you on this visual and informational journey.”
As interactive as current online museums are, Tahiya believes there’s potential for more.
“I think a lot of what makes a museum experience so valuable is the actual roaming through the halls,” shared Tahiya.
Physical museums, in her opinion, do a better job at piecing whole stories together, instead of simply displaying individual objects.
“The Museum of the World explored these specific artifacts and had experts talk about them. It’s very interesting, but it doesn’t fit into a larger landscape,” explained Tahiya. “And SPM’s tours were just VR tours of the exhibit rooms, so it’s harder to read and get immersed.”
In Tahiya’s eyes, online museums serve an informational purpose - useful to researchers and students, but does not meet the desires of the typical museum-goer.
With a sheepish smile, Tahiya concluded: “If I wanted that mind-blowing feeling I’d get from the grandeur of a museum, I would still opt for the physical museum.”
A PASSION LEFT IN THE PAST
Meet Nur Nazurah Bte Zainol, 18, a Lasalle art student whose interest in museums has waned after countless assignments of studying historical art from museums.
Even so, she eventually warmed up to the concept of online museums.
“I like that I don’t have to go outside,” she said with a smile.
Nazurah’s positive reception of SPM’s ‘All About Dogs’ and ‘More Than Monkey’ exhibitions reflect her interest in the artistic side of museums. Their interactive design held her attention moreso than SPM’s ‘The Little Prince: In The Dark Collection’ with its wordy booths.
Informational booths aren’t all bad for her, though. The Museum of the World’s user-friendly design and accessible information engaged both her fondness for visual aesthetics and her need for easier research.
“In physical museums, the information I’m looking for is usually somewhere in a booklet mixed with other information that I’m not interested in,” she said.
Online museums usually categorise items and artifacts individually; looking up information for a specific artwork is a breeze. It’s safe to say that online museums have a chance of winning her over.
