Musei virtuali e online. Nuovi modelli di fruizione e di utenza nella Rete [Virtual and online museums. New models of use and users on the Web]

Abstract

Online Museums, or Virtual Museums, are increasingly appearing on the contemporary art scene. Through an analysis of the historical perspective and the recent theories of scholars, the article aims to demonstrate how the Online Museum is a valid tool that can support or completely replace the traditional “physical” museum in carrying on research, enhancement and promotion of cultural heritage, above all the positive aspects of fruition and relationship with a new public. After investigating different definitions and categories of Virtual Museum, and the type of users, there is a list of Online Museum sites, highlighting at the end critical and positive aspects of this trend, that is increasingly conquering the public of art.

Keywords

• digital museum
• museum
• hypertext
• network
• online museum
• museums
• virtual museum
• virtual tour
• culture