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Errieti Ilaridi

Technology, Street Art and Museology


Everybody knows today that Street Art is Temporary. Ephemeral nature of this form of art brings on the romantic notion of a chase, a hunt, a quest. Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA) has created over 200 art pieces for its growing collection, in the last 7 years. The museum frequently introduces internationally acclaimed artists to streets of Amsterdam Nieuw-West. However, being constantly exposed to weather conditions as well as constantly changing environment, it is obvious that some of the artworks are faded and others have disappeared. The assertive gentrification process of the specific area, where the collection found its home, brings on daily challenges including an already known list of works that we are about to lose.

For example, artworks such as 'Super Mario' from Oak Oak, Icy&Sot's 'Let her be free' and 'Walking Alone', Btoys' 'Innovation' are all included in the SAMA’s preservation plan. The idea of SAMA is to use the VR and AR technology in order to maintain all these artworks in the memory of the local community, because SAMA uses its art as a tool to social dialogue.

Our vision is to enrich the tours through the collection by using VR and AR technology, which is an innovative and interactive way of experiencing the art works. VR has the power to transport users to places they might never be able to visit in real life so welcoming visitors into the SAMA’s world in a natural situation. VR is also the only technology today that allows the viewer to immerse into the past and experience the monumental mural in its true size and proportion.

SAMA's founder, Anna Stolyarova, invisages a 360 degrees VR video of the artwork, so the visitors will have the opportunity to use the headsets and watch how the artworks created or the animation (gaming extension) of the specific elements of the artwork:

"Step into the room with a Milkmaid, when viewing our monumental 'Glory' by Pez and Recal. Imagine if you can look around and see 'her' in 4 seasons. Imagine if her 'naked leg' could be explained by zooming into the video of talking to local people, especially the lady who said that "why do I need a fat white Dutch woman on my wall?" We can bring back the time, as we have all the footage of all of the making off videos and using today's advancement in this technology development, finally realise this dream".

The 2019 began with new collaboration for the future of SAMA. On Wednesday 9 of January, we went to Media College for a meeting with Rufus Baas, Program Manager of the Centre of Excellence for New Media Realities at the Media College in Amsterdam. Some of the discussion topics were the collaboration between the SAMA’s Milkmaid and the Milkmaid of the Rijksmuseum. By using VR and AR technology SAMA introduces to its audience an alternative tour around the collection. Both museums can point out on one hand the heritage and the ethics and on the other hand can make the information content accessible to the wider public in matter that is attractive. Moreover, VR technology functions as an educational, entertainment tool and subserves the simulation of the artwork. All this process is under way and other new technologies are going to emerge such as applications for all types of devices.

So SAMA accomplishes one more goal, which combines the education and technology. At this point my task in Education and Technology comes to the foreground, by creating an educational programme with the use of new technologies and how this is an effective way to increase the visitor experience around the artworks.

Therefore, Street Art Museum Amsterdam with the use of VR and AR technology and other new technologies can be part of a virtual world, which will be as a tool for knowledge and social interaction.

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