The Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum launched

Just launched the Valentino Garavani archives and virtual museum!

The Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum is an unprecedented digital fashion experience showcasing five decades of fashion history.

There is a quick start link at the botom of page with instructions of use and navigation, but to watch images you would have to download an application and then launch it.

After downloading the desktop application each visitor can create their unique route through the galleries, to discover and enjoy every aspect of Valentino's extraordinary world

It is an experience somehow between 3D, video game and virtuality, that tries to implement the visit with documentation and general information on the couture house, the personality of the designer/couturier and the work of the firm along the years.  Though in principel very interesting, I am not sure if the idea of "playing" with an external application would encourage visitors, but the concept is according with times and online living of many projects.  No news about the possibility of a physical museum to be soon a reality.

Here is the video at the Valentino youtube channel from the press conference for the official presentation in New York: "... Valentino is available to masses ....., welcome to future ......" Anne Hathaway, presenter of the event with participation of many personalities, among them was Amit Sood, creator of Google Art Project.

Practical iphone uses in the museum

I watched this visitant for sometime in the exhibit rooms and suddenly I realized she was taking a oicture of the wall and signs on it. 

and here you have a close-up of what she was shooting at: labels?  the design of signaletic?  colors?

In any case it is really, a very handy tool and more and more it is becoming indispensable in modern life, especially for professionals as a notebook.

Donald Judd: an artist's library legacy

Inside Donald Judd's Library in New York is an article from the New York Times where you can learn about the an interesting project for the creation of a, Donald Judd's own library with personal arrangement of books and catalogues, but virtual and that have required taken 672 photographs of the interior of the real building and a "custom software" to allow you browse through the titles and after indentifying a book the software tells where to find the book for borrowing, since the Judd's Library does not lend books.  technology is helping to bridge gaps between learning and places.



The library is part of the legacy of minimalist artist Donald Judd (1928 Excelsior Springs, MI -1994 Mara, TX), who lived in the building until 1972 when he decided to move to Marfa, TX but maintaining also residence in NY.  After his death in 1996, and in accordance with his last will, it was created the Judd Foundation in New York "to maintain and preserve Donald Judd's permanently installed living and working spaces, libraries, and archives in New York and Texas. The Foundation is dedicated to promoting a wider understanding of and appreciation for Judd’s artistic legacy by facilitating public access to these spaces and resources, and by developing scholarly and educational programs" (Judd Foundation's mission statement). 
(photo courtesy of Judd Foundation)

There is a second institution part of the Judd Foundation, The Chinati Foundation in Marfa, TX, that after 1972 was to be his permanent residence and studio "is a contemporary art museum based upon ideas of its founder, Donald Judd, to preserve and present to the public permanent large-scale installations" (Chinati Foundation's mission statement).  
The Judd Foundation in New York administers the private spaces and also the furniture store selling Judd's own furniture designs.  The store is illustrate by Judd's article from 1993, "It's hard to find a good lamp", where the artist expose his ideas about designing furniture.
(photo courtesy of Chinati Foundation)

virtual visit to an exhibition

Interesting use of the Flickr site from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, for the American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity (May 5, 2010–August 15, 2010) exhibition, with a tour to the Behind the Scenes—"American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity"
Technology working to help building bridges to save the geographical distance.