Immersion in Museums:

Prepared by the American Alliance of Museums

American Alliance of Museums2018

a primer for attendees

AR, VR, or Just Plain R?

Funded by Knight Foundation with additional support provided by GuidiGO

Introduction to this Convening

Introduction to Immersive Experiences

Key Terms

Contemporary Readings and Resources

0able of Contents1

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American Alliance of Museums2018

AAM would like to express our very great appreciation to the Media & Technology Network for lending their expertise, specifically Angie Judge, Seema Rao, Ed Rodley and Corey Timpson . They played a crucial role in developing the meeting program and this primer.

We are also grateful for the funding provided by Knight Foundation and the support for the meeting provided by GuidiGO.

Acknowledgements

Introduction to this Con ening Some ha e said that it’s possible to tra el the world in an afternoon without e er

lea ing the galleries of our fa orite museum. Certainl , man of us ha e e perienced

losing oursel es amidst fantastic objects and stories that transport us to other places

and times.

 

With the maturation of digital technologies like augmented and irtual realit AR,

VR , museums are on the cusp of creating increasingl compelling irtual e periences

that e tend the reach and possibilities of what a museum might become. 0hese

irtual e periences can refresh and personalize the museum space, as well as e tend

museums’ reach be ond their ph sical walls to reach and engage new audiences. A

new class of born digital AR and VR art challenges museum staff to de elop new

practices for collection, preser ation and rights management.

 

At the same time, our isitors are increasingl concerned about the dangers of

pri ileging digitall mediated e periences o er real time spent with friends and

famil . We obser e that the social e perience of museum-going is fre uentl cited as

among the top moti ations for isiting at all. We know that museum isitors alue the

authenticit of the real thing and despite the influences of a isuall -laden social

media culture, the interest and dedication of audiences to h per-local, artisanal, and

delicatel nuanced ph sical e periences hints at a desire for the real o er the irtual.

 

Witness the contemporaneous popularit of ph sicall constructed immersi e

e periences like Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, the Cit Museum in St. Louis, and e hibitions

like Wonder at the Renwick Galler . What are the potential futures of digital and

ph sical immersion in museums and how can we begin to think strategicall about

the nuances that define the boundar between the ph sical and the irtual? How can

museums create compelling e periences for isitors that effecti el engage them

with the subject, while creating compelling and memorable e periences that can be

shared with friends and famil ?

 

0his primer presents an o er iew of the terminolog , histor , and current practice in

immersion. We look forward to e ploring these uestions with ou at the  Detroit

Institute of Arts on September 6- , . Please bring our own, thoughts, uestions,

and pro ocations to share with our colleagues at this d namic con ening.

American Alliance of Museums2018

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Introduction to Immersi e E periences

In the past decade we ha e seen the maturation of a number of digital technologies

that pro ide immersi e e periences.  Augmented realit AR adds digital information

to the real sensor input from the world around us—pasting content and information

on top of what we see or hear, and at its most sophisticated, interacting with and

adapting to the user. Mi ed realit MR o erla s but anchors irtual objects to the

real world.Virtual realit VR refers to media that transport a user to a wholl digital,

simulated en ironment—an imaginar world, or a recreation of the real world,

present or past.

Of course, there are man wa s to create immersi e e periences In Real Life IRL

without the use of digital technologies. Man place-based immersi e projects simpl

co-opt the sensor landscape where the take place. One trending form of IRL

e perience is immersi e theater, in which the audience mo es through a staged

en ironment at their own pace, choosing their own path and se uence for obser ing

pieces of the performance. 0he current popularit of immersi e theater was sparked

in , when Punchdrunk 0heater premiered Sleep No More, an award-winning

adaptation of Macbeth staged in a warehouse comple in Chelsea. A growing

number of museums documented in this Google Spreadsheet are partnering with

theatrical companies to create immersi e presentations designed for their own

uni ue spaces.

American Alliance of Museums2018

Augmented Realit

For a timeline detailing the histor of augmented realit , please see "0he

Mainstreaming of Augmented Realit : A Brief Histor " b Ana Ja ornik from Har ard

Business Re iew:

hbr.org/ 6/ /the-mainstreaming-of-augmented-realit -a-brief-histor

Virtual Realit

For a more conte t about the histor of irtual realit , please see "Histor of Virtual

Realit " from the Virtual Realit Societ :

www. rs.org.uk/ irtual-realit /histor .html

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All Ke terms ha e been pulled from the VR Glossar . 0he selection below includes

the terms that are most likel to be referenced during the meeting. For more AR and

VR ocabular , please isit www. rglossar .org.

Anal tics

0he information resulting from the s stematic anal sis of both e ents occurring

within the artificial realit and of the de ice being used to create the artificial realit .

Augmented realit AR

In augmented realit AR the isible natural world is o erlaid with a la er of digital

content

 

A atar

A irtual representation of the e periencer within the irtual world

 

Data glo e

An interacti e de ice – often resembling a glo e worn on the hand – which connects

to a computer s stem and facilitates fine-motion control within irtual realit

 

Embodied presence

Acknowledging the e istence of our bod within a irtual realit VR e perience

 

E e tracking

0he abilit for ahead mounted displa HMD to read the position of thee periencer’s

e es ersus theirhead. E e tracking is particularl useful for informingVR anal tics,

where the de eloper wants to better understand what content thee periencer is

focused on in a specific scene or iew.

 

Gesture

Form of non- erbal communication through the bod – t picall the hands or head –

that, when tracked b a motion sensing camera attached to a computer, can be

interpreted as mo ement and mirrored in irtual realit .

 

Haptics

Haptic technolog simulates the sense of touch through the sensation of pressure

usuall on the hands ia a glo e

Ke 0erms

American Alliance of Museums2018

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Head mounted displa HMD

A set of goggles or a helmet with tin monitors in front of each e e to generate

images seen b the wearer as three-dimensional

Mi ed realit MR

Mi ed realit is similar to augmented realit AR e cept irtual objects are integrated

into the natural world

 

Peripheral

A de ice that helps enhance a irtual realit e perience b enabling greater

immersion within the irtual world

 

Positional audio

Audio that is triggered based on the position of the headset

 

Signposts   signposting

En ironment cues with the added purpose of helping the user to interpret the irtual

en ironment

 

Virtual realit VR

Virtual realit places the e periencer in another location entirel . Whether that

location has been generated b a computer or captured b ideo, it entirel occludes

the e periencer’s natural surroundings.

 

Virtual realit sickness

Also known as: motion sickness’ or simulation sickness’

is the feeling of general discomfort caused b e periencing irtual realit . S mptoms

can include: headache, nausea, omiting, drowsiness, and disorientation.

 

For related infographics please see "Virtual Realit Infographics" b the Virtual Realit

Glossar :

www. rglossar .org/infographic

 

 

Ke 0erms Continued

American Alliance of Museums2018

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American Alliance of Museums2018

MuseoPunks 2-part podcast on VR, 'Virtually Yours'

0o listen or download the podcasts, please use the links below.

Part : soundcloud.com/museopunks/episode- - irtuall - ours-part-

Part : soundcloud.com/museopunks/episode- 9- irtuall - ours-part-

For additional information about each podcast including the co-hosts' bios, podcast

notes, and links to additional information, please isit: labs.aam-us.org/museopunks/

Contemporar Readings and Resources

MuseoPunks

0rendsWatch 6

CFM and Alliance Blog Posts

Me/We/Here/There: museums and the matri of place-based augmented

devices, Pages - 9

www.aam-us.org/ 6/ / /meweherethere-museums-and-the-matri -of-place-

based-augmented-de ices/

Si Tips for Making Virtual Reality a Reality, 

www.aam-us.org/ / / /what-we-learned-6-tips-for-making- irtual-realit -a-realit /

E periments in Virtual Reality at The Museum of Flight, 6

www.aam-us.org/ 6/ / /e periments-in- irtual-realit -at-the-museum-of-flight/

Playing in the Museum Sandbo Australian Museum of the Mo ing Image , 6

www.aam-us.org/ 6/ 9/ /pla ing-in-the-museum-sandbo /

E ploring the Si th E tinction through Immersive Theater Carnegie Museums of

Pittsburgh ,

www.aam-us.org/ / / 9/e ploring-the-si th-e tinction-through-immersi e-theater/

For additional resources please see the abstracts and links listed below. 0hese

articles are not inde ed in the appendices.

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American Alliance of Museums2018

0hese are links and abstracts to additional articles from CFM’s weekl e-newsletter

Dispatches from the Future of Museums. 0hese articles are not inde ed in the

appendices.

 

PEMCast podcasts on Immersion

www.pem.org/e plore-art/pemcast

 

PEMcast : Immersi e e periences | Part

Museums and artists ha e long pla ed on people's sense of empath and wonder. But

now, more than e er, museums are incorporating all the senses in e hibition design

and in the design of the whole museum. Inter iews include Deborah Vankin of the LA

0imes, and curator Dais Wang discussing ph sical immersi e e periences, like

historic houses.

PEMcast : Immersi e e periences | Part

How can museums heighten a sense of empath and wonder? Increasingl

immersi e en ironments and multi-sensor e periences are coming into pla . 0une

into the most recent installment of the PEMcast as we e plore the immersi e

e perience with D sound designer Jason Reinier, designers and users of the VR

game Be ond Solitar , and li e action role pla LARP designer Johanna Koljonen.

 

MoMA R&D Salon 5: Immersion and Participation

momarnd.moma.org/salons/immersion-and-participation/

 

Immersion and Participation dissected the interpla of immersion, interaction,

participation, technolog , and inno ati e communication, especiall as the pertain to

museums. Immersion e okes total en elopment, the plunge into a separate, all-

encompassing ph sical or mental space. Artistic practice is deepl connected to this

idea, and so too can be the e perience of engaging with art. Viewers can be

transported b their e posure to a work, e en o ercome b a Stendhal S ndrome–like

ertigo. Museum galleries can similarl be concei ed as immersi e e periences that

transport the isitor out of e er da life.

 

Contemporar Readings and Resources Continued

Dispatches from the Center for Museums

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American Alliance of Museums2018

Ne Virtual Reality Art E hibit Brings Sea Level Rise to Times S uare

Earther, - -

earther.com/new- irtual-realit -art-e hibit-brings-sea-le el-rise-t- 6

0imes S uare now contains a new art e hibit—featuring irtual realit elements and a

6 -foot ph sical installation—dedicated to climate change. Launched Wednesda ,

the e hibit titled Wake and 7nmoored, was born from artist Mel Chin’s ision. All

O er the Place, a ri eting and contemplati e e hibit of his, is currentl on displa at

the yueens Museum in New York Cit . Wake, [is] a shipwreck that features the

skeletal remains of a large marine mammal resembling a whale alongside -foot tall

robot-like object inspired b an opera singer’s figurehead that was once mounted on

the 7SS Nightingale, a 9th centur sla e ship that could once be found in the waters

surrounding New York Cit . 7nmoored, [is a] irtual realit component that throws

participants into a bleak future where humanit has lost the battle against climate

change.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science Opens Virtual Reality Arcade

Westword, - -

www.westword.com/arts/den er-museum-of-nature-and-science-opens- irtual-

realit -arcade-

On Jul 9, the Den er Museum of Nature & Science un eiled its latest addition, a

irtual-realit arcade that will transport people of all ages around the world and e en

to Mars without e er actuall lea ing the museum. 0he museum built the facilit

Contemporar Readings and Resources Continued

Recent Stories in the News

Participation, howe er—e change, interacti it , commitment—has become the Hol

Grail for most museums and for man designers, architects, and artists. 0he concept

is not new, but recent technological inno ations ha e enabled e periments with

enhanced stor telling techni ues, and ha e also introduced a demand for more

comple , in ol ing, and multi-sensorial e periences on the part of the audience.

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American Alliance of Museums2018

itself, while the ten games a ailable come from outside companies. At each station in

the arcade, a user wears audio-e uipped goggles and holds two controllers, then

takes off into a new realit . 0he arcade is open dail from a.m. to p.m.; after pa ing

museum admission, adults can pa $ and junior guests ten and up $9 for ten

minutes of gaming time.

Snapchat Lenses bring coral reefs to your neighborhood

Engadget, 6- 9-

www.engadget.com/ / 6/ 9/coral-reef-snapchat-lenses/

 

How do ou make nature e citing to a generation growing up with Snapchat and

Instagram? 0he California Academ of Sciences has an idea: bring the nature to the

apps that generation is using. It just trotted out a series of augmented realit

Snapchat Lenses the first of their kind, CAS said that show reef life in our own

corner of the world. You can get up close to creatures like sea turtles, nudibranches

and mora eels without ha ing to put on some di ing gear or incurring the wrath of

conser ationists.

Anne Frank House museum unveils virtual reality tour

Star 0ribune, 6- -

www.startribune.com/anne-frank-house-museum-un eils- irtual-realit -

tour/ 9 /

 

0he Amsterdam museum dedicated to Anne Frank's life launched a irtual realit tour

of the cramped uarters where the Jewish diarist and her famil hid from Nazis

during World War II, marking what would ha e been her 9th birthda 0uesda . 0he

Anne Frank House said the -minute tour means people won't ha e to isit the

museum to see the anne where the Franks and four other Jews hid from Jul 9

until the were disco ered in August 9 and deported to concentration camps.

People with restricted mobilit who isit the Amsterdam museum but cannot tour

the small rooms will now be able to e perience them in irtual realit . 0he VR

e perience will be rolled out to Anne Frank centers in Berlin and New York later this

ear.

 

Contemporar Readings and Resources Continued

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American Alliance of Museums2018

The death of the art gallery? Japan's ne digital museum may offer a glimpse of

the future

0he 0elegraph, 6- -

www.telegraph.co.uk/tra el/destinations/asia/japan/articles/tok o-digital-art-

museum-re iew/

 

Mori Building Digital Art Museum: teamLab Borderless, which opens June ,

fortunatel has a concept which is a bit catchier than its name: the world’s first digital

museum of its scope and scale, it's a new generation showcase of immersi e,

interacti e digital art created b teamLab, a fast-growing 0ok o collecti e of so-called

ultra technologists .  It’s home to artworks loosel di ided into fi e areas,

orchestrated b a comple network of computers and high-tech projectors.

7pstairs is a space guaranteed to become children’s nir ana: Athletics Forest , a

sprawling, stimulating D ha en which, according to Inoko, was scientificall

designed to promote the growth of the brain’s hippocampus.

A Ne Breed of Immersive Art E periences Offers a Gate ay to Alternative

Realities

Arts , - -

www.arts .net/article/arts -editorial-new-breed-immersi e-art-e periences-offers-

gatewa -alternati e-realities

 

[Vince] Kadlubek is the CEO of Meow Wolf, an artist collecti e and production

compan that creates large-scale, interacti e, multimedia installations. It brought in

$6 million in re enue during its first ear; Meow Wolf has plans to build two more

uni ue spaces in the ne t two ears, in Las Vegas and Den er. 0his momentum

speaks to the broad appetite for e periential art at present—from immersi e

e hibitions, like those of Ya oi Kusama, to Instagram-friendl museums, like the

Museum of Ice Cream—particularl among e perience-hungr , selfie-lo ing

millennials. Meow Wolf, howe er, aims to offer more than just photo ops. Rather,

Kadlubek and his colleagues are working towards a future where high- ualit ,

thought-pro oking art en ironments are the norm.

 

 

Contemporar Readings and Resources Continued

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American Alliance of Museums2018

Modigliani VR: The Ochre Atelier

www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/e hibition/modigliani/modigliani- r-ochre-

atelier

 

Go behind-the-scenes and disco er how we recreated the artist's final Parisian studio

in irtual realit . 0he Modigliani VR: 0he Ochre Atelier reimagines Modigliani's final

Parisian studio, where he li ed and worked in the final months of his life in 9 9 and

9 . A pre iousl undocumented space, the artist's studio has been brought back to

life through more than 6 objects, artworks and materials.

Contemporar Readings and Resources Continued

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