The advancement of technologies has been gaining space in a lot of very different markets and today, numerous applications exist to facilitate and change the way we consume new technologies: from ordering food with our smartphones to visiting a museum on the other side of the world, simply by looking at our device's screen.

These new developments, both current and continuous, end up encouraging not only several historical and artistic institutions to include interactive elements in their exhibitions, but all the industries in a country.

Museums, for example, which have always tried to preserve history and art using objects, documents,  artworks and others, are already getting rid of traditional structures in favor of adhering to new digital tools, such as virtual reality.

In order to promote such museums, galleries and other cultural spaces, technologies are being created to facilitate these different ways of enjoying art and telling stories. Such technologies not only resignify how the story can be told, but they also preserve historical elements in physical form.

For example, many historical and artistic objects (including million-year old fossils) can be harmed over the years as exhibition props, even if museums or galleries do their best to preserve them by limiting exposure to touch or interactions. Such works end up being harmed in the long run even enduring minimal contact with people.

Because of this risks, fragile objects are increasingly being placed in virtual exhibitions, so that visits happen in a virtual way, preventing physical contact and safeguarding such objects of decay.

Notwithstanding the deterioration, but because of the current pandemic, some museums have also adhered to technological tools that try to replace physical contact and, consequently, large crowds, by enabling virtual access.

Amid the global pandemic, many businesses and services have reinvented themselves, and the art and culture segment was just one that had to deal with closed doors and to adapt itself in order to continue bringing art and knowledge to people.

So don't underestimate such technologies, as users trying museums' new virtual experiences report a veracity and strong approximation to artistic works, to the point of imagining themselves immersed in the exhibitions. It's an opportunity to get to know art, even amid the current limitations.

Is there an art market?

Yes, there is an art market, and it doesn't include only the big, traditional museums around the world: there are countless galleries, itinerant exhibitions, private collectors and many other spaces that bring together art in its different forms.

They are spaces where art is not only contemplated, but also consumed, purchased and even interacted with.

However, even if it is not limited to museums, we cannot affirm that such spaces are not considered solid examples of a historic art market. The National Gallery, for example, is an art museum known worldwide as a large market for historical works, which are auctioned and kept as European heritage. Located in London (United Kingdom), the museum receives annually around 5 million visitors and is considered one of the most famous museums in the world, because of its very important historical and artistic collection.

Due to the current scenario, the museum expanded its virtual presence so that people in isolation do not lose contact with European art and actually are able to nourish this relationship, even without leaving home. By accessing the museum's official website, you will be able to find the "Virtual Tours" section, which describes all the different ways to visit the museum and the technologies that can be used.

Another example is the Louvre. A monument of Paris, France, the Louvre museum is considered the largest art museum in the world, surpassing the National Gallery in London in numbers of visits, totaling more than 8 million visitors per year. However, like so many other artistic institutions with large numbers of visitors, the Louvre also had to close its doors in the midst of the pandemic and thus start an effective use of digital tools that could alleviate the cultural deficiency of their faithful followers.

Like other museums, the Louvre is also offering online tours that allow its visitors to know their main works, like the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. The entire tour is guided by audio and their projections try to assimilate a proportion closer to the reality of construction.

However, when we mention the closure of museums and galleries, we must problematize not only the consequences of COVID-19 for the art market worldwide and for the comprehension of history, but all the impacts that this pandemic can generate for all of society, including the economic, technological and educational sectors.

When the closing of museums are deemed necessary and exhibitions are postponed, shows are cancelled, a big part of the population may see itself as an “orphan” of culture. There is, therefore, an attempt to somehow reframe the experience of visiting and to access artistic and historical content in new ways, as was already mentioned.

But after all, what can be considered art? What is the art market made of?

In the artistic market, what else could the product be, if not for the artworks themselves? Some artists in history pioneered in making their art for the world, however, many of the works were “patented” as State property or historical heritage. In other cases, the copyrights, sales or exhibitions of certain works were rewarded as payment to the artist's family (this happens when the artist no longer responds as an individual, exceeding a number of years), or to the artists themselves.

Another thing to be emphasized is that many people around the world have works of art in their homes, also acquired commercially, even if for values ​​well below the estimated in the artistic milieu. Such works are also included in the art market, that is, the market is not restricted to millionaire auctions.

Art and technology

When we talk about art in the world, we can see that it has already been expressed in many different ways: paintings, sculptures, poems, performances, constructions and the like. Today we can witness yet another phase of art, a time when it has expressed itself through technology.

But before we try to problematize current technologies and their relationships with art, we must know that technology has always been linked to history, because throughout history we have been able to see the beginning of many new technologies. But, after all, what is considered technology?

Technology is linked to the functioning and control of things; it's about skills and functionalities that are needed. When we think of technology as something always futuristic, we make a relation of the word with its operation, because when we talk about technology we automatically think about an “evolution” on material improvements and facilitation of human life.

However, we cannot disentangle technology from the past, because in doing this, we reconfigure the technology symbol as a historical event, and it's not quite that. The simple discovery of how to control fire, in prehistory, is considered the development of a technology, because man's domination over such a natural element was minimal: he was in a hostage situation. Therefore, upon finding a skill that allowed him to dominate fire, he was encouraged to investigate further, finding other possible techniques that could make him a “controller” of everything. Because of that, technology was marked in history.

In art, one of the most important technologies achieved to date is 3D (three-dimensional images), which gives the sensation of depth for the users. Such a discovery was at first heavily used in cinemas and in geographic location devices, but soon dominated the internet, applications and games, as well as different areas of the world.

The 3D technology (360º) allows the people who watch it, the possibility of experiencing certain events on the smartphone screen in a unique way, detaching itself from the limits of the angles, because all the 360º images show totality and plurality of angles, as if from an image we could observe the sky and at the same time the floor, increasing depth and reality.

Such reality was called, right afterwards, virtual reality, in an attempt to manipulate the even greater reality. In museums, most of the exhibitions are being filmed in a three-dimensional way, so that the visitor can imagine being inside the exhibition, without even having to leave home: he just needs to reposition the smartphone in different ways and see the different angles of the museums, halls, and works even more closely.

As already mentioned, two famous examples of the approximation of art with technology are the famous exhibitions in two of the most famous museums in the world: the National Gallery and the Louvre. However, in Brazil, a large symbol of the approximation of art with technology is the Museum of Tomorrow.

Timelinefy, the tool that organizes history in time

Timelinefy is a tool that offers a new way of telling stories, allowing for a more complete learning of the events by helping users organize the historical facts in time. But Timelinefy is not only a tool: it's a company created to help people learn and present information to others by organizing them in timelines.

Timelinefy is a platform that seeks to present certain historical events or periods and describe them in several layers, displaying all the possible interconnections.

This interaction with contents which can be zoomed in and zoomed out of, as well as contain a multitude of possible formats such as audios, videos, and images, are a storytelling method far superior to traditional ways of content exchange, such as writing or reading on textbooks.

Timelinefy strongly believes in its potential to develop education and promote historical knowledge. Therefore, detailed work was designed specifically for museums and educational institutions.

The technological organization presents its business based on projects, subscriptions and content sales, based on the commitment of a diverse team: designers, developers and even psychologists working together to better design and assist the users.

Numerous platforms or content supports already tell the story from timelines, such as: history books, social networks, websites, among others. Therefore, we see the great relevance in establishing timelines, which can help to narrate events and facts that emerge in history.

Conclusion

Did you see how art and technology are increasingly linked?

As previously discussed, numerous museums are already adhering to the use of digital tools that facilitate access for your visitors. But after the pandemic, such artistic and historical institutions felt even more obliged to adopt, as soon as possible, measures to “replace” physical visits.

This scenario includes tools like Timelinefy, which are very important and practical to promote a new knowledge and experience of history.

After reading this article, you are able to understand a little better the relations of technology and art and to rethink these elements so that you can provide new knowledge. Know that with the support of Timelinefy, you will be able to develop your own stories in a simple and practical way. Also remember that technology will always continue to advance and a tool like this will also enter history someday!

The digital age invites us to rethink history and art, facts, life, the marks of time and our future, crossed by history. So make your story too, give people a chance of using digital tools and start expanding your knowledge or your information in a linear (with timelines) and simplified, but at the same time unique, way.

When doing this from inside the house, you will realize that art can be appreciated anywhere and anytime! All it takes is an Internet connection. Such technologies do not erase or end the traditional ways of appreciating art, but they expand the ways in which art can be  displayed.