flipbook

`Google Cultural Institute’ and
its online platform `Google Arts
and Culture’ both launched
in 2011 with the aim to work
in partnership with Cultural
Archives to make their collections
accessible online to everyone
(Google Arts & Culture). Digital
preservation guarantees the
longevity of objects and the
research and data that surrounds
them, for future generations.
By using the online platform,
individuals can take a tour of
a Cultural Archives’ physical
space. This can provide detailed
information on artworks and
enables users to select objects
within the archive to create their
own virtual collection.
In 2015 the British Museum
collaborated with Google to
digitalise nearly 5000 objects,
making them accessible
worldwide. The online collection
is compiled on a digital platform.
As the user selects to view the
collection they are greeted by an
explosion of brightly coloured
particles which disperse to reveal
a timeline of the artefacts. As
the user hovers over each of
the particles dotted along the
timeline, it makes a unique chime,
The Museum Of the World / British Museum
like pressing on a piano key.
Once the user has clicked on
a particle they are presented
with a 2D image of the artefact
along with information and an
audio commentary. Google has
provided an impressive interactive
platform which presents the
artefacts along a timeline dated
all the way back to 2,000,000
BC, however, the way in which
the visitor views the artefacts has
not dramatically changed. The
objects are still in a 2D format
next to a paragraph of writing
and a pre-recorded audio clip.
This platform has the potential to
provide users with a chance to
view the objects and information
in immersive ways using Google’s
extensive product range, such
as, Augmented Reality, Voice
Recognition and Artificial
Intelligence using their smart
devices.
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