LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA AND GOOGLE CULTURAL INSTITUTE TOGETHER FOR THE BIENNALE ARTE 2015

a first experiment made with cutting-edge technology
artworks and pavilions on a digital platform

La Biennale di Venezia and the Google Cultural Institute announced that they are making a selection of artworks and pavilions from the Biennale Arte 2015, curated by Okwui Enwezor, available online on the Google Cultural Institute. The collaboration was announced today in Rome at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, in the presence of the Minister Dario Franceschini, by the President of La Biennale di Venezia, Paolo Baratta and the Director of the Google Cultural Institute, Amit Sood.

The project, thanks to the cutting edge technology developed by the Google Cultural Institute, is a first experiment aimed at expanding the possibilities of bringing people closer to the Biennale Arte 2015. On the one hand, it will encourage those who want to explore the exhibition before setting off for Venice, while on the other, it will allow to capture highlight of the exhibition so people can experience the artworks online after the closure of the Biennale Arte on November 22nd, 2015.

Starting from today, in the final month of the Biennale Arte, the International Exhibition and the exhibits of 80 Countries in 70 National Pavilions will be accessible online on g.co/biennalearte2015 as well as www.labiennale.org/en/art/online-2015exhibition/. Viewers will be able to browse a diverse collection of more than 4,000 artworks and photos in multiple digital exhibitions. Users will also be able to see 360 degree panoramic views of the internal and external exhibitions at Giardini and the Arsenale thanks to more than 80 sites photographed with Street View technology.

The Google Cultural Institute, alongside La Biennale di Venezia, has also created an app for mobile devices which can be downloaded from the Google Play store which grants access to the digital exhibition and allows users to explore two virtual tours using Google Cardboard, a simple virtual reality viewer.

“The collaboration between La Biennale di Venezia and the Google Cultural Institute confirms just how much of a great ally technology can be in appreciating our cultural heritage”, said the Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, Dario Franceschini, who also underlined “the importance of technical innovation in broadening cultural communication, in creating new ways of use and overcoming distances, as well as encouraging greater dialogue.”

“This collaboration with Google is the first and a very important experiment, which I believe can be further developed in the future in a variety of possible, if yet still unknown ways,” said the President of La Biennale di Venezia, Paolo Baratta. “We’ll do our best! With more technological abilities we’ll be able to better link them with a stronger editorial ability, making better use of technology both for our documentation as well as to support the public. This bet on using modern technologies is most definitely not aimed to substitute the experience in person with virtual viewing, but, on the contrary, to compliment and enrich the direct viewing experience.”

“We are proud to work with La Biennale di Venezia, a world-leading exhibition that brings many countries, cultures and their approaches to art to the center of the cultural debate”, said the Director of the Google Cultural Institute, Amit Sood. “The Internet is a powerful tool for the democratization of art and culture, a force that helps cultural institutions to extend their impact. It empowers cultural institutions to make their artworks and treasures accessible to a greater number of people in the world and preserve them for the future”.

La Biennale di Venezia, founded in 1895, stands at the forefront of research and promotion of new contemporary art trends and organizes exhibitions and researches in all its specific sectors: Art (1895), Architecture (1980), Cinema (1932), Dance (1999), Music (1930), and Theatre (1934). Its activities are documented at the Historical Archives of Contemporary Arts (ASAC) that recently has been completely renovated.

The Google Cultural Institute and its partners are putting the world’s cultural treasures at the fingertips of Internet users and are building tools that allow the cultural sector to share more of its diverse heritage online. The Google Cultural Institute has partnered with more than 800 institutions giving a platform to over 170 thousand artworks and a total of 6 million photos, videos, manuscripts and other documents of art, culture and history.

4. Collaborazione Biennale di Venezia e Google_21ott2015

3. Scheda Google Cultural Institute

Inaugurato a Venezia (Ca’ Giustinian)
lo spazio dimostrativo
per scoprire online la Biennale Arte 2015
in collaborazione con Google Cultural Institute

Venezia, 23 Ottobre 2015 – È stato inaugurato oggi a Venezia (Ca’ Giustinian, sede della Biennale) lo spazio dimostrativo “Google Cultural Institute @ Biennale Arte 2015”, alla presenza del Presidente della Biennale, Paolo Baratta, della Responsabile Public Policy del Google Cultural Institute, Giorgia Abeltino, e dell’Head of Country Operations del Google Cultural Institute, Luisella Mazza.
Lo spazio presenta risultati e tecnologie utilizzate per realizzare la messa online della Mostra secondo i termini della collaborazione tra La Biennale di Venezia e Google. Una selezione di opere della Biennale Arte 2015 (curata da Okwui Enwezor) e di Padiglioni dei Paesi partecipanti, è stata resa disponibile online sul sito del Google Cultural Institute (g.co/biennalearte2015) oltre che sul sito della Biennale di Venezia (http://www.labiennale.org/it/arte/esposizione2015-online/).
Lo spazio interattivo rimarrà aperto fino al 23 gennaio 2016, permettendo ai visitatori di vivere o rivivere un’esperienza interattiva della Mostra anche dopo la conclusione (22 novembre 2015). Vi sarà presentato per la prima volta in Italia il Liquid Galaxy, uno strumento composto da diversi schermi ad alta risoluzione affiancati, in grado di offrire al pubblico l’esperienza coinvolgente di una visita virtuale della Biennale Arte 2015, attraverso le oltre 80 immagini Street View realizzate nelle aree espositive interne ed esterne dei Giardini e dell’Arsenale. Inoltre, quattro postazioni dotate di tablet permetteranno di apprezzare le opere di Biennale Arte 2015 navigando gratuitamente su g.co/biennalearte2015.

La Biennale di Venezia nasce nel 1895 con l’Esposizione Internazionale d’Arte, settore a cui si aggiungono negli anni la Musica (1930), il Cinema (1932), il Teatro (1934), l’Architettura (1980) e la Danza (1999). All’avanguardia nella ricerca e nella promozione delle nuove tendenze artistiche contemporanee, l’istituzione organizza mostre, manifestazioni e attività di ricerca documentate presso l’Archivio Storico delle Arti Contemporanee (ASAC) di recente totalmente rinnovato.

Il Google Cultural Institute si occupa di sviluppare tecnologia con l’obiettivo di promuovere e preservare la cultura online. Tutti i progetti del Google Cultural Institute (www.google.com/culturalinstitute) sono frutto di collaborazioni strette con importanti partner italiani e internazionali: musei, fondazioni, siti di interesse culturale, archivi e altre istituzioni che gestiscono i contenuti di cui sono proprietari all’interno delle piattaforme tecnologiche messe a disposizione da Google.