Virtual Visits
During this period of isolation, my sister and I have been taking virtual trips together. Every day one of us picks a destination, then we get on our phones and chat while we “stroll” through an art museum, national park, or hall of fame. It’s very enjoyable, because we don’t have to worry about moving aside for other viewers, and we can talk as loud as we want!
My favorite one so far has been the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, because of how well the tour is organized. I have done about 20 different virtual tours at this point, and this one stands out as having the most intuitive system for accessing the different layers of information. You can move through the galleries as in Google Street View. About half the paintings have little blue talk bubbles in the corner, which signifies that more information is available. Click on the talk bubble, and a larger version of the painting pops up with the info card. Click on the magnifying glass in the middle, and an even larger version pops up.
While she and I have been hitting a variety of attractions, I thought that here I would share some of the great textile-related tours I have found.
A lovely discovery for me was the Palazzo Madama in Turin, Italy. I have been to Italy several times but I had never heard of this fabulous palace and its collections. Their Google Arts and Culture page has 20 exhibitions, about half of which are focused on fashion. This one, The Restoration of the Banyan, shows the details of conserving a man’s dressing gown from the mid-1700s. And if you scroll all the way down on their page, you can find the virtual tours. I recommend this one, and don’t forget to look up at the ceilings!
The virtual tour of The National Museum of Costume in Portugal leads you through cases of European fashion, organized chronologically. And to see some similar fashions in great detail, you can visit the FIDM online exhibit Fabulous! Empire Period, 1800-1830.
Moving beyond just European fashion, the exhibit How to Make a Varanasi Brocade amazed me – that in this industrial age, some silk sari fabrics are still handwoven, with skilled weavers laying in delicate motifs of metallic thread by hand. This is a slide show with video clips interspersed, and close to the end is a longer video spotlighting the many specialized artisans necessary to produce one piece of brocade cloth.
And the most heart-warming and inspiring exhibition of all, the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange of 2018:
The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange project sees the Commonwealth Fashion Council and Eco Age come together, along with Google Arts and Culture, to champion sustainable fashion practices.
The centerpiece of the project brings together 29 artisans and fashion designers across all 53 Commonwealth nations to partner up and create a collection of 30 sustainably-produced, handcrafted fashion pieces. The designs represent the cultures, identities and creatives skills of each nation.
This is more than an online tour, this is a wealth of traditional handcrafts and materials, blended with detailed design. You may not think the finished garments are something you (or anybody) would actually wear, but if you look at the details, you will find beauty and inspiration. There are 27 videos, 52 stories, 3 online exhibitions, and a virtual tour of Buckingham Palace to explore.
So I hope this helps you deal with staying home. If you have any more good virtual visits, or you have done a similar post, please leave links in the comments! 🙂
These are great, many thanks for sharing!!!!
There are so many great choices out there; I was very happy to find these. 🙂
Hi D! Im glad all is well, safe, and blessed with you and your family. Thank you for sharing great fashions all you shared. Be blessed because you’re. Kind regards, Mtetar
Thanks, Mtetar, I am glad things are well with you as well!
Amen
THANK YOU!
While there is tea there is hope!
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You are welcome!
And Susan! I made myself a tea drawer!! All the little varieties are facing up, so easy to choose. I saw it on a YouTube video and knew I had to have one! 🙂
That’s a great idea.Would you mind if I shared it, please?
Oh, of course! However you would like. Glad to be of help in these crazy times! 🙂
thanks!
I have always wondered why clothing fascinates us so. I, myself, have a micro wardrobe and wear the same thing just about every day. But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate fashion. And I wonder why? Thanks for all the links! Air hugs from New Jersey!
Me too! In my normal day, only the goats and chickens see me, so I dress in old t-shirts and jeans.
I think for me, what I love about fashion is the layers of interest — pretty fabric, cut and sewn in flowing lines, with embellishments adding more detail — and all of it wrapped around a form, and moving through space. And then added to that, the best fashion shows are in beautiful architectural places with great lighting and music. That definitely holds my interest longer than most paintings or sculptures.
Yes! I especially like the movement of fabric. Nothing like a beautiful swing coat!
Here’s a link to an Open Culture article on virtual tours available: http://www.openculture.com/2020/03/take-a-virtual-tour-of-30-world-class-museums.html. They mention the Van Gogh museum.
Thank you, I will check it out!
Congratulations! Your blog has been included in INTERESTING BLOGS IN FRIDAY FOSSICKING at
https://thatmomentintime-crissouli.blogspot.com/2020/03/friday-fossicking-27th-mar-2020.html
Thank you, Chris
A number of virtual escapades, etc. in today’s blog…
Wow! thanks for all the great ideas for “tours”!