Exhibition
Seeing a photograph of a painting online will never be the same as witnessing that painting in real life. It is special to get close to it, to see it from different angles, to admire the light playing off the paint and the individual brush strokes showing the artist's work.
The same is true for other cultural heritage objects. By looking at a photograph of the Farnese Hercules statue, you can't gauge its true size, peer closer to inspect the author's signature on the rock or imagine how this statue would have looked in the Ancient Roman Caracalla baths.
However, 3D reconstructions allow developers of 3D experiences to put Hercules back in his original position in the main hall of the baths, surrounded by vaulted ceilings and marble columns. These experiences can be enhanced in many ways, for instance by adding light falling in through the high windows and glinting off the gilded decorations and mosaics.
Try it for yourself right now with a virtual tour through the baths using websites like Yorescape or with a YouTube video made by 'History in 3D'.
Becoming immersed in a 3D reconstruction of the past is a great way to relive history and better understand its context, especially when a voiceover gives you a guided tour - as in the examples above. This kind of '3D tourism' is also a nice way to enjoy historical objects without first standing in line to get into a museum, or battling for space next to others to get a better view of the objects.
How can we use 3D technology to tell a story?
You don't always need to create a video voiceover or high-budget production to make a 3D model come to life.
In the digitisation of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, the curators at 3D4Delphi have added clickable tooltips that allow you to look at the details in the massive ruined temple complex and learn more about its different rooms and their intended use back in Ancient Greece.
Crafted in the 13th century, this exquisite sculpture captivates with its portrayal of maternal tenderness. Carved by Brioloto de Balneo, it symbolises divine love and the nurturing nature of motherhood. Its delicate features and life-like expression make it a cherished icon of religious art.
This piece of medieval sculpture is so important to the religious and social history of Flanders that it can be found in Flanders' database of most cherished cultural heritage artefacts.
In an effort to preserve this fragile sculpture, it was digitised in high-quality 3D, without sparing a single millimetre of its surface. A 3D printer created a replica of the object, a bit smaller in stature, but with the same amount of detail as the original.
This 3D-printed replica was exhibited at the Twin It! Closing event in Brussels, where European dignitaries, national ministers of culture, and other attendants could admire the sculpture.
In this way, 3D technology was used to bring the virtual museum back into the physical world. You can get closer to this replica of the Madonna Lactans than you would ever be allowed to with the original, and you can even touch this 3D-printed version!
How can 3D models improve the experience of a physical visit?
The Madonna Lactans is displayed on a pedestal and can be walked around in just a few seconds, while other pieces of cultural heritage exist on a different scale, encompassing hectares, spanning multiple floors or buildings, and need hours to explore in person.
One such example is the Caves of Lascaux in France, which have been digitised to create an immersive experience using a virtual reality (VR) headset. With only a virtual torch to light your way, and no-one else around, you can discover the prehistoric paintings in the caves that date back more than 17,000 years.
Visit in person and you can combine this VR experience with an actual descent into the caves, and you will have experienced Lascaux like never before!
How do virtual museums use 3D technology?
Virtual museums not only have the upside of not having to get up from your couch to enjoy some cultural heritage, they also allow for more interactive, immersive exhibits that would be impossible to do in a physical setting.
The Twin it! interactive exploration created by Tijdlab puts you in a virtual space where you can stroll through Twin it! models from all over Europe, which will never be in the same physical room together. Here, all of these models have been brought together in one 3D space for you.
So sit back and travel through a trans-national exhibition, learning about the history and culture of Europe's Member States.
Tijdlab's experience hints at a virtual world, in which you are fully immersed in a 3D space and can move around and interact with objects. 3D cultural heritage will be increasingly important in the rise of ever more sophisticated virtual worlds as an alternative to the 2D internet.