Google's tour of best art galleries
UNTIL now, anyone who aspired to be well versed in the artistic highlights of the world's great galleries required time, money and a penchant for air travel. Soon, they will need just a laptop.
Google, the company that has already made it possible to discover cities street-by-street, has announced a global expansion of its Art Project site, which allows users to go on a cultural grand tour without ever leaving their computer.
The site, which launched in February last year with just 1,000 works of art after being thought up by four UK-based engineers, has signed partnership deals with 151 new cultural locations across 40 countries.
British institutions including the Victoria & Albert Museum and the National Galleries of Scotland are among those that will now allow Google to photograph their collections, bringing total works on the site to 30,000.
Some galleries will show photos of the art, while others will allow visitors to digitally wander the halls. In total,10 new UK galleries, including the Serpentine Gallery, have signed up, joining Tate Britain, which enlisted last year.
