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Abstract

The aim of this research was to investigate the adaptation of the Virtual Reality (VR) museum experience prototype, “Gallery of Shadows,” (GoS) an interactive VR installation that allows visitors to assume the role of a provenance researcher. GoS was developed to engage a younger demographic in a state-owned art museum, bringing the important topic of provenance research closer to them. The use of VR in museums poses various hygienic and administrative challenges, including the maintenance of equipment and ensuring a sanitary environment for users. To address these challenges, we adapted the VR experience into a web-based format. The adaptation process involved transitioning the VR experience to a web format, ensuring that key elements such as discovery, inspection, learning, and emotional resonance from the original VR experience were central to this adaptation. Due to COVID-19 isolation at the time, the web experience was evaluated by participants at home using a questionnaire. One evaluation took place as part of an online art history class and the other evaluation was conducted with registered museum members. Our findings indicate that using elements such as discovery, inspection, learning, and emotional resonance to translate the VR experience into a web experience showed promising results. Although the VR experience scored higher in terms of immersion, our alternative digital format effectively conveyed educational content and engaged users when VR was not accessible. Findings revealed that while the VR experience scored higher in the hedonic quality of “stimulation”, the web adaptation more effectively conveyed educational content and equally engaged users, highlighting the importance of focusing on designing meaningful museum experiences regardless of the technology used.

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