Doha, Qatar: The Museum With No Frontiers (MWNF) has unveiled a new online exhibition platform that will open its virtual doors to the public next week.
The platform offers a unique opportunity to explore over 250 art pieces from the comfort of one’s home.
The launch event took place at the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum (FBQ) and was attended by cultural institutions and organisations from various countries, including Qatar, Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Oman, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani explained the purpose of the online platform, stating that it aims to make art collections accessible to people who may not have the opportunity to visit a physical museum.
“If they can’t have a trip to visit the museum, they still have access to the collection and they can enjoy viewing the collection,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the event yesterday.
MWNF Chair and CEO, Eva Schubert highlighted the advantages of virtual exhibitions, particularly the ability to bring together experts from different countries who can collaborate on developing exhibition concepts without the need for travel or significant financial investments.
She also mentioned that the art pieces and artefacts featured in the online platform are not limited to Islamic art, but encompass a wide range, including European art, contemporary art, and Asian art, depending on the collection of their partners.
Schubert emphasised easy access to the online platform for all around the world. She announced that while the current exhibition is in a three-dimensional format, future developments will aim to provide a more immersive physical experience of entering the exhibition.
In a statement, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Ángel Moratinos, praised the launch of the online exhibition platform as an important milestone for promoting intercultural dialogue worldwide. He stressed the role of culture as an antidote to hate speech, xenophobia, and a lack of understanding, particularly in the virtual world that has become an integral part of our lives.
“The online exhibition platform encompasses a further step towards the promotion of intercultural respect and understanding across the board, enabling both in-person and virtual dialogues that overall promote peace, respect and solidarity,” he said.
The new online platform was presented with a demo exhibition titled “The Use of Colours in Art.” Users can scroll through different themes and interact digitally with the collections, providing a faster and more dynamic experience. The visually appealing platform enables MWNF to guide audiences through history and art, creating a seamless and immersive journey.
MWNF has over two decades of experience in developing and maintaining virtual exhibits. The most significant accomplishment of this new online exhibition platform is its innovative technical solutions, such as the use of automated templates, which reduce programming resources and allow MWNF to devote more time to developing high-quality content with its international network of cultural partners.
