During my build up to my final year project I have always talked and looked out for how museums and galleries can be represented in virtual space. Museums and galleries always tried to surprise their visitors with their displays over a huge range of subjects and content, from works of art, fossils, or historical artefacts. This was a new experience for me, and I found great creative inspiration from the new sources of interest and inspiration in these content rich environments. I was particularly inspired when I took part in a collaboration with the Liverpool World Museum. with the world museum i had the chance to work with the culture gallery re deigning  and displaying Chinese artefact in different ways as possible. more information on my collaboration is online if you follow this link https://jayageethanm.wixsite.com/jays-collaboration you willl see more. my main part of my research came from my studio practice where it push me forward with intention of what i needed to do.  for example my studio practice research was: 

1.3D models viewed online

2.3D printed models

3.3D prints used in situ (gallery/museum)

4.VR and AR at home 

5.VR and AR in situ (gallery/museum)

6.Mixed reality (MR) experiences (including projection mapping)

​

This made me look at the work I did for my dissertation which was a study based on the skeuomorphic representations of institutions and the objects. During that study I came across games that represent different aspects of museums and galleries which I could see had potential to be further developed for gamers to play around and experience. That got me thinking of a way to represent objects that are part of the collections in museums and galleries and how they could engage a greater audience and cross different platforms to include the gaming community across the broader spectrum of different age groups.

After rounding up all the things i have learnt and seen i came up with my final project of representing museum or a its object with in the gaming environment the rezone i came up with is. its more of a old /new way of getting young people to get more active in museum /gallery.  

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

In order for museums and galleries to maintain an audience centred approach they cannot ignore the use of technology and the cultural immersion of gaming and the links that they can create with this new virtual experiential world ( Ballantyne and Uzzell, 2011). When planning activities and exhibitions, Hooper-Greenhill, (2006) noted that there was a cultural shift in museums and galleries to put the needs of the audience as a higher priority than previously seen. This attitudinal shift has been highlighted as these institutions have had to find new and contemporary links to the socio-cultural changes identified as new technology and interaction have emerged in response to technology and its influence on how learning and enjoyment has developed as a result of these changes (Black, 2005). Change in the arts is affected by social, political, and economic pressures ( Bearman and Geber, 2008; Black, 2012), therefore in order to maintain their position as relevant in the emerging and changing society the developing the Gallery and Museums sector therefore needs a focus on the changing needs and culture that reflect the lack of public funding and the increasing diversification of the alternative entertainment provided by other leisure services.

In order to create innovative solutions there needs to be a balance between visitor interaction and engaging their motivation. This can be strengthened by linking to individuals previous experience and interest, the technology available and its suitability to engage and connect with the audience. The technologies and programmes applied ability to showcase the gallery or museums’ collection and work, as well as the context of the museum in its mission to educate, entertain and share their knowledge , environment and artifacts. Styx (2019) comments that the use of technology based games by Museums are able to foster a sense of connection to their Visitors can interact with.

MoMA asks visitors to participate in feedback by leaving post it notes that are then scanned and linked through an online portal to the specific feature or art work that is being commented about. The Smithsonian have a broad online presence offering many interactive opportunities, but specifically they use games that are linked to their online host Pepper, the Smithsonians robot guide.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Photo of Pepper: https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/04/27/pepper-the-robot-at-smithsonian-orig-vstan-jm.cnn

The use of Pepper can help solve common problems in its museums and research centers, such as attracting people to under-attended galleries, encouraging deeper and more customized visitor engagement with artwork and artefacts, and giving other gallery guides and educators a new method and platform to engage their visitors. Pepper the Smithsonian’s Robot Guide also offers interactive games on a tablet, linking the home user with the museum through games engagement. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)"https://www.moma.org/" in New York, found a way to connect their visitors with their art works and each other by creating a portal through post it notes on a notice board or created on line and then curated to match works of art and link the participants in a digital curation of responses. MoMA also drew great attention by using the Google Arts and Culture App to match their virtual visitors with portraits held in the galleries collection. This form of interaction can be considered to be a game as requires interaction. 

​