In the ever-evolving digital world, advanced technologies like augmented reality allow access to an interconnected virtual universe where people can interact, create, and share immersive experiences. This new digital environment is transforming access to and interaction with cultural heritage, not only offering opportunities to enrich entertainment and social relationships but also revolutionizing and innovating the way we explore and preserve cultural assets.
Thanks to immersive technologies, we have the opportunity to interact with virtual environments that accurately reproduce museums and galleries. Through digital museums, it is possible to immerse oneself in art, learn about figures and events that have marked history, as well as artistic currents and forms of expression. An emblematic example is represented by the Louvre, which has developed a virtual experience of its museum, allowing users to navigate through its collections dynamically and interactively.
Exploring the world with modern technologies
Numerous digital platforms now also offer the opportunity to take virtual tours of significant geographical sites, historical places, and archaeological sites. With immersive technologies, it is possible to navigate virtual environments that faithfully reproduce places of historical significance and archaeological areas. For example, the Google Arts & Culture project collaborates with over 2,000 institutions to offer virtual tours of museums and UNESCO World Heritage sites, allowing users to visit cultural and historical places of interest from every corner of the globe directly from their device.Â
Other immersive technologies, such as the metaverse, play an important role in these types of experiences. An innovative service like Avatar Customer Care, powered by Generative AI, can offer an even more engaging and personalized experience through interaction with an avatar that guides us through historical paths and detailed descriptions. Many institutions already use AI-powered virtual assistants to guide users through these types of virtual cultural experiences. An example is the virtual reality of Notre-Dame, the first virtual reality experience dedicated to the famous cathedral that allows users to explore the cathedral and immerse themselves in its history, from its original construction in the Middle Ages to the current restoration after the devastating fire of 2019.
Another example is the British Museum, which has introduced a Google Street View feature that allows users to virtually explore more than 60 galleries of the museum and offers virtual guides to accompany visitors on a journey through history, providing context and in-depth narratives on the collections on display.
The metaverse also plays a crucial role in the preservation of cultural assets for future generations. Digitalization allows for the safeguarding of monuments, artworks, and other cultural treasures that might otherwise be exposed to risks of deterioration or destruction, as demonstrated by the CyArk project, which uses 3D laser scanning to document and preserve endangered UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Beyond time: Immersive technologies and the new era of cultural experience
But new technologies are not just a means to explore the past; they also offer fertile ground for creativity and innovation in the fields of culture and art. Artists, designers, and creatives from around the world are harnessing these infinite potentials to create interactive artworks and digital installations that challenge the boundaries of perception and human expression.Â
Immersive technologies represent a new frontier in the exploration and preservation of cultural heritage, offering an interactive experience that sits at the intersection of art, history, and technology. With the continued development and widespread adoption of immersive technologies, we can expect a future where the past will be accessible to all, no longer confined to the pages of books or behind museum ropes but alive and tangible in the vast space of the metaverse.