Contemporary Museum Trends

Hardwiring for Technology

The major revolution in technology has been heavily noticed by museums.  Technology is heavily impacting the types of exhibits taking place in museums, in some cases more so than physical installations.  

It is also advancing the use and education of technology within the institution, as the number or digital media forms of art are increasing, the public along with the curators at the museums are becoming more and more accepting of this and are learning more about the things that can be done through the use of technology.  

Art is not only defined as a physical sculpture, photograph, drawing or painting.  There are many new forms of art that are being produced and recognized in a major way, including digital media.  Many installations require a multiple projectors, power sources, complex lighting systems and even wireless connections.  A common trend museums are leaning toward includes hardwiring for these types of technology in advance, which makes installing these forms of art easier and more attractive for artists.  

High Arctic: United Visual Artists

National Maritime Museum

London, UK

July 14 – January 13 2012

The exhibition is a use immersive and responsive environment.  It consists of ultraviolet torches which are constantly reacting to the visitors which are approaching the exhibit.  There are no touchscreens, no photographs and no panels consisting of text.  

There are thousands of columns which fill the gallery space, representing real life glaciers.  In addition to the visual interactive element of the exhibition, there is a soundscape that make the user feel like they are truly in the Arctic and experiencing sounds that would be occurring if one were truly in that Arctic in real life.  

An artificial horizon moves with various intensity of colours and brightness, creating a realistic environment. The intention of the installation is to create a cultural response to climate change and it is intended to promote sustainable living.

An installation of this nature requires an immense amount of technology and power sources working in one cohesive system together.  Since all of the systems within the exhibit are reactive to the users actions, it creates a very highly interactive space where the user actually forms the installation with their presence.  This is not something that can be achieved with simple outlets in the wall.  There is a full system required that incudes sound, light, UV ray torches and sensors.  

This type of art is becoming more popular and is showing up in many institutions around the world.  

Technology hardwiring beneficial to the WAG?

While designing new additions to existing museums, upgrading existing museums or building new institutions, technology needs to be a number one consideration.  The forms of art are becoming more and more creative and eclectic, using many mediums within their presentation.

Fortunately, this is something that can be added to existing systems quite easily and does not require a significant renovation to do so.  The WAG can absolutely benefit from the addition of technology, as it will attract a wider variety of artists and their installations.  This will also update the WAG and its current exhibition styles to a more contemporary cutting edge venue.

With the addition of this technology being available it will be a lot easier to install various shows, and possibly use the venue for more than just exhibits.  It may appeal to many user groups who wish to use the space for something other than an art show, such as a wedding or a band performance.  

Once again, this appeals to the younger generation as they are all very saturated with technology on a day to day basis.  They will be able to draw a connection to the exhibit with the new technological shows that could be taking place.  In turn making the WAG more popular and reachable to younger generation, generating more revenue.

On a larger scope, the other institutions around the city will also benefit for this, as it opens up the doors for them to host various events as they can accommodate many forms of media without much alternative configuration to the existing systems.