It is very possible that we all remember what was the first visit we made to a museum, at what age it was and, above all, what we saw. And that, in addition, we remember which museum we visited for the last time, especially at a time of uncertainty like the one we are currently experiencing (with the reduction of activity in museums and cultural centers due to the coronavirus pandemic in which we find ourselves immersed ).
Every year, since 1977, an International Museum Day has been celebrated, with a particular theme each year. It is, without a doubt, a unique day for museum professionals to get to know the general public, and make them aware of the different challenges they must face in order to become institutions at the service of society and its development.
This international day is celebrated every year on May 18 , and carries its motto aloud: “museums, an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures, development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.”
And, again, we are facing a date marked and indicated in the calendar for lovers of culture, art and history, since International Museum Day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of these institutions for exchange and cultural enrichment between peoples.
According to data provided by Google Arts & Culture , each month more than 500 million searches related to art are carried out in its popular search engine. And, on the occasion of celebrating this day in a very special way, Google proposes us to take a tour of the museums, in a totally virtual way, without leaving home.
Get to know the most emblematic Spanish museums from home
Through Google Arts & Culture, users have the possibility of knowing in depth, and in a totally interactive way, Spanish culture, given that the site specialized in art and culture has published more than 120 collections, with 473 digital reports, and 23,438 images (including 594 in Art Camera and 124 routes in Street View).
In this way, anyone, without the need to leave home, can visit and discover the corners of four of the main most recognized museums in our country:
- Reina Sofia Museum. Founded in 1990, it houses such important pieces as the model of the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris Exposition of 1937 or the work by Juan Gris ‘The bottle of anís el mono’. 10 years ago, it actually became one of the 17 museums around the world that the Google Art Project launched. Through Street View, users can walk through it, as well as through its different locations, such as the Crystal Palace.
- Thyssen Bornemisza Museum. It also became, 10 years ago, one of the 17 museums around the world inaugurated in the Google Art Project. Users can take a tour of the art that this museum houses, from the 13th century to the late 20th century.
- Art Museum of Catalonia. It is one of the Spanish museums with the largest collection in Google Arts & Culture, with 1,376 items. It is renowned for hosting representations of Gothic art and romantic mural painting. And it has works by Gaudí, Ramón Casas or El Greco, among others.
- Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao. Known for its iconic buildings, this is a truly special museum that preserves, gathers and studies modern and contemporary works of art.
A tour of other Spanish museums
In addition to the museums mentioned above, Google Arts & Culture also offers users the possibility of accessing, from home, the collections of numerous national and regional museums.
A good example is found with the Railway Museum, which allows us to learn more about the history of the railway and take a comprehensive tour of it; the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville, which has different works by some of the main masters of the Baroque, or the Museum of Girona, with its work ‘Moon Night in Girona’.
On the other hand, from today Google Arts & Culture also offers new content that will give users the possibility of enjoying different special reports, such as the ‘Journey to the human body’, from the Granada Science Park, or three new exhibitions on the history of the Palace of Fernán Núñez.
What is Google Arts & Culture?
It consists of a digital platform, born in 2011, in order to offer the possibility of exploring art, the wonders of the world and history more closely in a simple and accessible way, without the user having to leave home.
It has an official website and free application for both Android and iOS, thus facilitating access to culture and art for everyone, from anywhere.
Since then, it has held more than 6 million photographs, videos, manuscripts and other documents on art, history and culture, in addition to more than 10,000 digitized exhibits.
