While art institutions across the world have developed virtual spaces to contend with the restrictions resulting from the coronavirus pandemic,
the Virtual Online Museum of Art (VOMA), which opened in August, lets you visit anytime and from anywhere.
Curated by London-based art dealer Lee Cavaliere, the digital space features masterpieces on loan from international institutions such as Musée d’Orsay, Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. Among the art works you will ‘find’ in this fully interactive virtual museum are Édouard Manet’s Olympia, currently housed at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights and Caravaggio’s The Incredulity of Saint Thomas.
Each artwork is presented in high resolution and accompanied by related media and references to enrich your visit. VOMA also plans to present commissioned artworks by international contemporary artists as part of its newly-launched Digital Firsts Commission Programme. The inaugural recipient of the Digital Firsts Commission, Kenya-born multimedia artist Phoebe Boswell, will debut her latest piece along with a soundscape by Scottish-Nigerian singer-songwriter Bumi Thomas in VOMA’s Artist Space.
British artist Stuart Semple, who conceived VOMA, said in a statement: “I believe art should be for everyone. The Internet is the most inclusive and democratic public space we have, and it’s time we had a digital museum-style institution ready to inspire and connect online audiences with great art,”
Semple partnered with a global team of architects, CGI designers, gaming experts and curators to create a digital building that can adapt to any specific time zone or geographic location. Additionally, a community feature also gives you the opportunity to see routes taken by other visitors, read their reviews and even link up with friends visiting at the same time.
