When’s the last time you went to a museum, art gallery, or cultural exhibit? Interesting new research shows that digital exhibits can be just as positive and mood-boosting as visiting them in real life.
Research has shown many mental health benefits from visiting museums, art galleries, and cultural exhibits – but do these benefits translate if we consume them digitally?
When the COVID lockdowns hit, many people had to find new ways of using the internet to fulfill their real world needs. One of the most common examples of this was the proliferation of streaming music concerts and other live events that people were unable to attend due to safety and health concerns.
During the same time, many museums and art galleries were uploading their collections online so that they could be viewed by everyone from all over the world without restrictions.
One new study published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Psychology looked at the short-term benefits of viewing art and cultural exhibits online.Participants in the study were instructed to view one of two different exhibits from Google Arts and Culture.
- The “art exhibit” was an interactive presentation of the painting The Water-Lily Pond by Monet, featured at the National Gallery in London. You can view it here.
- The “cultural exhibit” was an interactive presentation exploring the history of Japanese cuisine. You can view it here.
Each exhibit takes no more than 2-3 minutes to scroll through. There are also other recommended online exhibits at the bottom of each one if you’d like to continue.
Results showed that even very brief viewings can have positive effects, leading to lower negative mood, anxiety, and loneliness, as well as higher subjective well-being. These results were comparable to other interventions such as nature experiences and visits to physical art galleries.
The study also found that participants who viewed the exhibits as “meaningful” or “beautiful” showed the strongest positive effects – the subjective experience of each individual was just as important as the exhibit in-and-of-itself.
One of the most amazing things about the internet is our ability to observe and learn things that we would otherwise never have access to. There is something for everyone.
While many aspects of the internet seem to increase stress, anxiety, and depression (including bringing out our “worst self” due to the online disinhibition effect), there are also countless opportunities to improve our happiness and well-being if we use our digital environment wisely.
One practical takeaway from this research is that online art and cultural exhibits can be one of many tools we can use to minimize stress and anxiety throughout our day.
Need a micro-break from work and responsibilities? Consider looking at some enjoyable art and reminding yourself all the beauty there is in life.
Here’s a list of potential options when it comes to viewing art online:
- Google Arts and Culture – Both exhibits used in the study came from here. There’s a wealth of other free content too, including browsing through collections from famous museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Gallery in London, Harvard Art Museums, and Van Gogh Museum. In addition to the huge collections uploaded, there are also many digital exhibits and presentations (similar to the ones mentioned above), as well as museum walk-throughs.
- Check Out New Artists – If you’re looking to explore completely new artists – including amateurs and recently created works – consider checking out the popular website Deviant Art or /r/Art on Reddit. Find out what’s going on with today’s up-and-coming art world.
- Watch Artists on YouTube – It can also be fun and interesting to watch artists while they go through their creative process. There are many videos out there of artists walking you through how they approach their works, including tutorials (if you want to improve your own art skills), or Bob Ross videos, a popular go-to when people want to chill-out and unwind after a stressful day.
- Daily Art App – One app that was recommended to me is the Daily Art app (available for free on both Apple and Google Play), which recommends a new piece to look at each day along with a short story about it. I haven’t personally used it, but it may be worth checking out.
- Travel Using Google Earth – A novel way you can mimic being a tourist is to use Google Earth, search a city, building, or cultural monument you want to explore, choose “Street View,” and then plop yourself anywhere in the world you want to. This will provide you with a real-world first-person view of your chosen city/monument, and you can even “walk” around and go sight-seeing.
Once again, there is a lot of beauty in the world for us to enjoy. With the marvels of the internet, we now have access to more beauty at our fingertips than ever before.
There’s a great psychological power in enjoying a nice view. It allows us to take a step back, be more mindful of our sensations, and remind ourselves there’s more to life than just work and responsibilities.
We can tap into the power of beauty whenever we want to.
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