110 years UP museum sets historic virtual platform achievement
The 110 years’ experience of the UP Museum Collections has become more convenient as online users can explore hosted artworks such as the Mapungubwe Collection, 20th century masterpieces by South African artists such as Maggie Loubser, Irma Stern, Jacob Pierneef, and Frans Oerder, and African modernism works, through a new collaborative platform.
Seven hundred artworks belonging to the University of Pretoria (UP) can now be viewed online, thanks to its partnership with Google Arts & Culture.
This as UP announced that its museums’ collections and five exhibitions be viewed at artsandculture.google.com.
It was the first university museum in South Africa to launch its art and other heritage collections online.
Users can now explore hosted artworks such as the Mapungubwe Collection; 20th-century masterpieces by South African artists such as Maggie Loubser, Irma Stern, Jacob Pierneef, and Frans Oerder; and African modernism works.
“This was a natural migration and mutual partnership, resulting from the harsh impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and unprecedented closure of museums worldwide,” said UP museums head Dr Sian Tiley-Nel.
Tiley-Nel said it was a response by the university to bring artworks, archives, historical works and other masterpieces, particularly of South African art to the continent and the world.
“Google Arts & Culture brings together a selection representative of the UP museums’ diverse and signature collections.”
She said the works were specially curated stories that provided an overview of the entire collection, its history and current background.
Other stories include themes on South African modernism, Mapungubwe archaeological clay figures, and the meandering unique sculpture route through the iconic landscape at UP’s Hatfield campus.
She said the first phase of the project began in June last year with a signed agreement and curatorial hours of loading of metadata, descriptions, unique high-resolution photographs and rare archival images.
“This digital content would not have been possible without the curatorial direction by Gerard de Kamper, curator of museum collections and Lelani Nicolaisen, curator art exhibitions and galleries.”
Tiley-Nel said the Google Arts & Culture platform treasured, stories and knowledge of over 3 000 cultural institutions from 80 countries.
“The partnership between UP and Google Arts & Culture opens the doorway for more people to explore art, history, and wonders of the world, and the part UP plays in it.”
“Appreciation goes to Google Arts & Culture for this long-term partnership that will continue to bring more South African art online,” she said.
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