Experiencing art is not just about visiting a building full of paintings and sculptures anymore. Gallery and museum directors are finding new and innovative ways of using the Internet to get the public connected to the art world.
Social media has sparked discussion across different communities through the web, and for Art Gallery of Ontario IT and new media director Virginia Vuleta, moving art to the online world creates a different kind of conversation about art.
The AGO has joined forces with the Google Art project (googleartproject.com) as the only Canadian gallery to participate in the online initiative.
The project is an online gallery experience that allows users to browse art collections from various galleries and museums around the world. By visiting the Google Art project, users can view slideshows of gallery collections on their web browser.
Following its initial launch last year, Version 2 of the Google Art project launched Tuesday with 151 gallery partners from 40 different countries.
Once users have signed in with their Google account, they can take virtual tours of galleries and museums, and find information about posted artwork.
They can also select works they like or upload their own content to create unique visual collections.
More than 50 pieces from the Toronto-based AGO's collection are included in the project.
Vuleta said the online collection creates "something different" for users.
"The online experience allows for both a broader audience and a continued conversation - conversation can go on for hours or days or weeks…there's more longevity and greater context and possibly greater depth," Vuleta said.
"It is
