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Written by curator Merete Sanderhoff,  National Gallery of Denmark. member of NODEM10

I’m in Denver, Colorado for the annual Museums and the Web conference. http://www.archimuse.com/mw2010/ Before all the workshops and sessions take off Wednesday I planned a personal Preconference Tour to discover some of the museums in the Mile High City.

Starting out at the Museum of Contemporary Art http://www.mcadenver.org/index.php/exhibitions I admired the architectural layout of this recent added attraction to Denver’s cultural life. A very stylish yet welcoming atmosphere provided by cool white walls and glass panes combined with warm wood and raw steel. The temporary exhibition Looking for the Face I Had Before the World Was Made featuring among others Michaël Borremans, Lorraine O’Grady and A.G. Rizzoli offered a very varied range of reflections on the issue of identity. Although I looked in vain for digital enhancements of my visit I didn’t miss it because the layout of the exhibition was to the point and the gallery spaces were a pleasure to move around in.

Next stop on my tour was Denver Art Museum. http://www.denverartmuseum.org/home Designed by American architect Daniel Liebeskind it’s a strikingly contemporary setting for a fine collection of art ranging from Oceanic and African artefacts to contemporary Western art with fine pieces by among others Tony Oursler, Daniel Schnell, Sandy Skoglund and many more. I particularly enjoyed Charles Sandison’s installation Chamber which is part of the temporary exhibition Embrace! http://exhibits.denverartmuseum.org/embrace/ An amazing digital artwork that truly embraces and absorbs the viewer.

I instantly noticed at the DAM the museum’s ability to create friendly user environments. For instance The Studio – a space in one of the collection galleries designed for adults (kids are welcome too) to interact with art and be creative themselves. Another feature I liked was a room reserved for an in depth investigation of a single artwork, using digital tools such as touch screens and a filmed interview with the artist to interact with the piece. DAM is also aware of the impact of comfortable seating in the galleries – something we’re discussing currently at SMK in relation to making a new display of our collections. The DAM complete their comfy chairs with a selection of leaf through catalogues, notebooks and pencils for visitors to use at their leisure. Several good ideas for our upcoming work at SMK.

My day ended at the Crú, http://www.cruawinebar.com/ one of Denver’s famous winebars that add class and style to this Midwestern city. Wednesday will be the first day of the actual conference where I’m participating in two workshops: Web Surveys: Don’t Just Do It. Do It Right and Planning Social Media in Museums. http://www.archimuse.com/mw2010/sescal/index.html Looking forward to sharing new insights with you.

Inside, News, Outside, Virtual
conference, Museums and the Web