As the world adjusts to a more homebound lifestyle, cultural institutions and organizations are opening their doors to tours and exhibitions of some of the world’s most renowned places in a virtual world allowing people to enjoy their art and offering the opportunity to visit them without leaving the comfort of your own bed. From Lebanon to São Paulo passing by Amsterdam, New York, Mexico and much more; here is my virtual selection!
Make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to “visit” them with a simple click.
1- Virtual Lebanese National Museum of Modern Art
Let’s start local with Lebanon very first virtual museum dedicated for the works of different periods of the Lebanese Modern Art by displaying the Ministry of culture’s art collection. A one of a kind opportunity to gain insight into the evolution of the Lebanese fine art movements and its journey which spanned over decades.
Visit the museum virtually here
2- Sursock Museum, Beirut
With the iconic Beirut Museum closed, one of my favorite exhibitions is virtually available to visit: “Baalbek, Archives of an Eternity”. Presented last summer the exhibition brings together archaeological, ethnographic, anthropological, cultural, and artistic perspectives to unpack the history of Baalbek from its origins to the contemporary moment. You can access the virtual tour here:
https://sursock.museum/virtualtour/202003/index.html
3- British Museum, London
The virtual tour of this iconic museum that’s located in the heart of London allows you to tour through various periods of history and discover curiosities like the Egyptian mummies. Also, hundreds of other artifacts can be seen there, so don’t miss your chance!
4- Guggenheim Museum, New York
By using Google’s Street View feature, you can now tour the Guggenheim’s famous spiral staircase without having to do the actual traveling and walking. There, you can see incredible works of art from various historical periods, including the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary eras.
5- National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul
This museum is one of Korea’s most popular ones and now you can access it from literally anywhere around the world. The virtual tour of the national museum takes you through six floors of Contemporary Korean as well as international art.
6- Pergamon Museum, Berlin
Pergamon is one of the largest museums in Germany; therefore, it has a whole lot to offer. This historical museum houses plenty of ancient artifacts such as the famous Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, naturally, the Pergamon Altar.
7- National Museum Of Anthropology, Mexico City
The national museum of mexico is the largest and most-visited in the country. Every history geek’s dream, this fascinating museum is dedicated to the pre-Hispanic heritage of Mexico and is home to various exciting artifacts of archaeology and history. Don’t miss the chance to wander through all 23 exhibit rooms which display an array of ancient objects, even including some from the ancient Maya civilization.
8- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
You can see the works of this ingenious painter up close by stepping into this virtual museum which is home to the largest collection of artworks by Vincent van Gogh. The collection includes over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters
9- The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
This art museum that’s located in California takes you back as far as the 8th century, as you can see European artworks there from these old time periods. Go on a Street View tour to explore the huge collection of masterworks—paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.
10- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Home to many masterworks from the Dutch Golden Age, this iconic museum offers a Google Street View tour that will make you feel like you’re actually strolling through its meticulously-decorated halls. Head on there to see works from such geniuses as Vermeer and Rembrandt.
11- MASP, São Paulo
This modern non-profit museum is the first of its kind in Brazil. Take a virtual tour for a beautiful display of MASP’s huge collection that includes more than 10 thousand works. Paintings, sculptures, photographs, and even costumes from a wide range of historical periods and various places can be seen there.
Google Arts And Culture have teamed up with several hundred museums and galleries from all around the globe to bring everyone virtual tours and exhibitions. The list have more than 500 museums and galleries that you can visit virtually. So stay home and enjoy!
