The Process of Digitalization in Modern Exhibition Spaces: Exhibition Practices and Spectator Experience

Digitalization and the introduction of digital services contribute to cultural changes in most areas of human life, including the art industry. Grant Tavinor's work "The Aesthetics of Virtual Reality" characterizes these changes as the "virtual turn": most communication, economic, and political processes move online. In this paper, we will undertake an analysis of the main digitalization methods used to create exhibition spaces, as well as an examination of how these elements impact the structure of the spectator's experience and the architecture of the exhibition. To address these issues, both works in digital culture research and in the fields of museology and exhibition curating will be studied. The phenomena that will be investigated in this study include the creation of digital products to expand the audience and increase visit variability (such as mobile applications and websites), the development of digital tour guides and exhibition equipment (including video guides, augmented reality, etc.), and the use of digital techniques to create exhibits. Exhibition spaces such as the Ground-Solyanka Gallery-Workshop, the GES-2 House of Culture, and online platforms like Sample and The Wrong Biennale will serve as examples for analysis. The aim of the study is to investigate changes in exhibition spaces and the experience of visitors. An overview of the main strategies for digitalization used in modern exhibitions will be provided (what changes have taken place in the physical aspect of exhibitions, how the role of visitors has changed due to the use of digital tools, and other relevant aspects).