The Kirchner Museum in Davos has opted for an innovative and at the same time sustainable solution and developed a virtual museum with HEGIAS technology that enables visitors from all over the world to experience art digitally 24/7.
The Kirchner Museum in Davos is dedicated to the art of the expressionist painter Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1939). The museum is a popular destination for art lovers from all over the world who want to admire Kirchner's works in an impressive collection of over 1,500 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and textiles as well as 160 sketchbooks. In addition, there are over 1,500 photographs, contemporary historical documents and a library on Expressionism.
Digitisation as a new opportunity for museums
In reality, the exhibition is long gone, but in the virtual world it continues forever. In collaboration with HEGIAS AG from Zurich, a virtual museum was developed that allows visitors to experience the works of Kirchner and other artists from the comfort of their own homes. The concept for the virtual museum was based on offering visitors an immersive experience and preserving past exhibitions.
Already four exhibitions
In a pilot project, the progressive Kirchner Museum had the special exhibition "Kirchner's Sketchbooks "From Pencil Stroke to Hologram" digitised and prepared for VR by HEGIAS. A short time later, the exhibition "Theatre of Survival. Martin Disler - The Late Years", which was present in the Kirchner Museum with impressive sculptures and paintings until the end of 2020, was added.
Visitors were then treated to the third exhibition, "Europa auf Kur. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Thomas Mann and the Myth of Davos", which tells the stories of the Alpine world and the cultural life of Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In April 2023, the fourth exhibition has already opened its virtual doors: "Gigon/Guyer. Kirchner Museum revisited". On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, this exhibition is exceptionally dedicated to the building of the Kirchner Museum itself. The exhibition focuses on various facets of the building from different angles: the story of the museum's creation is told by various protagonists. Its rooms, the lighting, the materials, the insights and views are experienced in various ways, including original models and plans. In the virtual exhibition, the museum offers a unique opportunity to "scale down" and immerse oneself in the architectural models 1:1.
The app with the various exhibitions of the Kirchner Museum can be downloaded from the freely accessible Oculus Store by searching for "Kirchner Museum Davos".
Source: HEGIAS
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