Introduction

Even when it’s not possible to physically travel, it is easier than ever to explore museums around the world thanks to Google Arts and Culture. Many are taking advantage of the virtual tours and museum experiences available online. As evidence, “virtual museum tours” was the second most common Google search in 2020. Many museums have been investing in this trend. Among some of the best virtual tours are the Louvre Museum, the British Museum, and the Studio Ghibli Museum. This article will look at a lesser-known virtual tour at the Benaki Museum.

Virtual Tours at the Benaki Museum

A smaller museum that has also done an excellent job of creating their own virtual tour is the Benaki Museum in Athens.

The Benaki Museum is housed in a beautiful neoclassical building originally extended in 1911 with its most recent refurbishments having been completed in 2000. The museum was founded in 1930 by the collector Antonis Benakis and, according to the website, is “one of the most important museums in the country, with six museum annexes, four archival annexes, and an extensive library.”

Greece has a unique relationship with their museums. An article in the Economist states how Greek museums differ from those in the United States in that, “In Greece’s bureaucratic system, such museums are closely integrated into the archaeological service, a proud, powerful agency under the aegis of the culture ministry.” This has benefits and drawbacks. Although Greece helps their museums through difficult times, this makes it more complex for these museums to gain any private funding which could improve their facilities and increase tourism.

Given these hurdles, the functionality of the Benaki Museum’s virtual tour is surprising. Unlike other institutions, such as the Acropolis Museum, the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture has its own virtual tour that differs from the typical Google Arts and Culture virtual tours in a few significant ways. For one, it allows the user to “walk” the halls of the museum, thereby being able to feel the geography of the building and look at the statues from different angles.

This allows for a more in-person feel, even if users are halfway around the world. Another aspect of the tour that is significant to the user experience is the map that shows the user in which room they are. This gives the user a sense of location as they move through the museum. It also had the added benefit of making the user less likely to get turned around as they go through different rooms.

One aspect of the tour that is especially impactful is the interactive element. The user can click on several different pieces and listen to an audio clip—usually about a minute in length, with several different language options—that describes the piece and where it was found. It is not a replacement for the cards that are typically available for visitors to read during an in-person tour, but there is a substantial range of pieces and it certainly improves the experience.

When it comes to virtual tours, navigation can be a significant hurdle. However, the Benaki Museum impressively evades this issue by providing images at the bottom of the screen that visitors can click on rather than the typical arrow navigation. This allows the user to forego the walking simulation that can often result in frustration and instead easily and quickly change rooms to look at new objects.

Conclusion

In this past year there has been a question of how museums are to survive without visitors. Some museums, such as London’s National Gallery and the Design Museum, have begun to charge for their virtual tours. This has allowed for more involved tours, as well as, of course, added income for the museums. However, there is a question of whether people are truly willing to pay for virtual tours, especially in the long term.

The Benaki Museum’s virtual tour is enjoyable. Although certainly not a replacement for wandering the halls of an Athenian neoclassical museum, it allows for a bit of escapism with the opportunity to view some exciting Greek artifacts. However, it is questionable as to whether many people would be willing to pay for this experience, which is less of an issue for the Benaki Museum since the Greek government strongly supports the arts and arts institutions, particularly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.