Imaginarium

In 2025, the National Gallery will celebrate its 200th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, the National Gallery wanted to explore what a virtual version of the museum could look like. The goal was to develop an online experience where everyone could enjoy the museum's most famous artworks. However, it needed to be done in such an innovative way that the project would set a benchmark for the museum world. The bar was set high...

A true virtual art experience
But how do you create a good virtual art experience? Simply viewing an artwork digitally doesn't equate to truly experiencing it. The traditional digital art experience is quite functional: a visitor might browse through artworks and zoom in on one. But are they really seeing it? Is the painting truly being experienced? During the strategy phase, design agency Fabrique collaborated with us to develop a vision for an immersive art experience that genuinely resonates and complements the physical museum visit.

Bringing art to life
Together with the National Gallery, we embarked on developing a virtual art experience focused on the overall experience. We wanted to truly bring the art to life. The idea was for each visitor to form a personal connection with the paintings in their own unique way. After all, everyone experiences artworks differently. This concept was inspired by a National Gallery curator who, during tours, encourages visitors to view paintings differently by asking questions. We aimed to replicate this more time-intensive way of experiencing art in an online setting.

Imaginarium
From this conceptual phase emerged the so-called Imaginarium: not just a replica of the museum but a virtual space where visitors can experience the National Gallery's key works in a new way. The innovative 3D experience invites visitors to step into the digital space. This allows them to get closer to the paintings than ever before and truly absorb the artworks and the artists' intentions. For the virtual space, we utilised elements that aren't possible in reality. The Imaginarium is thus a world with its own character: the paintings don't just hang on the walls but float through the space. Thanks to the work of 3D artist Malou Sandig, we succeeded in creating a virtual space that renders well even in a browser.

Like a dream
The visitor enters the Imaginarium through a virtual version of the museum's most iconic room, Room 36. The experience begins with a brief tutorial on navigating the Imaginarium. Visitors can explore on their own or be guided by the Imaginarium. As a visitor moves further through the space, the environment becomes more formless. Much like a dream, the Imaginarium is rooted in reality but expands into a realm of limitless possibilities.

Not just viewing art, but truly experiencing it
The user experience of the website is designed to leave room for imagination. Therefore, there are few buttons that might obstruct the experience. The information panel is also less prominent. Instead, the focus is on dialogue: the website's use is more conversational than functional. Through various questions, visitors are guided through the artworks. The website assists visitors if they are unsure where to start. The goal of the website is not to teach but to offer a different way of looking at art. Through the question-and-answer interaction, the experience is unique for each user.

A personal gateway to artworks
By clicking on a painting in the Imaginarium, visitors virtually floats into the artwork. Thanks to our high-res storytelling tool, Micrio, the works can be viewed in great detail. However, the true experience lies in the exploration mode. This mode is triggered by a button or by answering a question, much like the aforementioned curator does. The answers provide visitors with a personal gateway into the painting, compelling them to truly absorb the artwork. The flow of questions was devised by the curators of the National Gallery.

Bringing paintings to life with AI
After a series of questions, something magical happens: the painting comes to life through AI. Elements within the painting begin to move slightly, such as depicted figures, and sounds that match the story, like cows mooing, can be heard. Animating the paintings was no easy task, as it is much more challenging than with photographs. We dedicated significant time to properly implementing the subtle movements in the videos. Additionally, a mode was developed in collaboration with the National Gallery to ensure the integrity of the artworks is respected. The AI animations are meant to tell or enhance a story. Animations that do not achieve this were rejected.

Smooth and pleasant user experience
Just like our previous experiences with exhibitions and museums, such as for the Rijksmuseum and Oculi Mundi, we have paid great attention to creating a smooth and pleasant user experience for the Imaginarium. The application works excellently not only on desktop but also on older mobile devices and tablets. We achieved the personalised experience of the question-and-answer interaction thanks to the open-source headless CMS Sanity, which provided us with the flexibility to build custom components.

Now that the Imaginarium is established, the Virtual Gallery is not yet complete. The initial concept included additional digital worlds, such as a laboratory where visitors can collect and create artworks. In the future, we hope to realize these virtual spaces in collaboration with the National Gallery to introduce more people to art in a new way.