Interactive totem for "Rembrandt. Dialogues in the Gallery"

The Royal Museums conceived this project with the intention of creating an interactive station that supports the exhibition and guides visitors in exploring the Old Man Sleeping portrait. In addition to presenting the work in detail, the totem offers insights, curiosities and anecdotes related to the oil painting. When developing this technological solution, we designed a flexible piece that can easily adapt to multiple spaces. As a result, the totem will serve as a permanent support for the artwork when it returns to its original location in the Galleria Sabauda.

THE TOTEM’S STRUCTURE

The contents have been meticulously prepared, compiled, and organized to create a state-of-the-art vertical touchscreen totem. It has been strategically located in the beginning of the itinerary, in the antechamber of the artwork, seamlessly blending into the exhibition's graphical environment. In its design, we have given special consideration to accommodate the needs of users with functional diversity, ensuring inclusivity for all types of visitors.

The landing page features a detailed reproduction of the painting, accompanied by a brief introduction. At the bottom of the screen, navigation buttons allow the user to choose between five thematic areas to continue with the experience. All content and information are available in both Italian and English.

The five thematic sections are the following: 

IDENTIKIT

In this section, we delve into the painting’s iconographic interpretation and the analysis of the portrayed subject. We have followed the most well-supported hypotheses and established connections to the collection of works by Rembrandt at Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, providing iconographic references for each interpretation.

DISCOVER THE DETAILS

This section displays a high-resolution reproduction of the painting, on top of which we highlighted different points of interest with the icon of a magnifying glass. Each allows us to look into different aspects contributing to a more comprehensive analysis. Furthermore, they reveal subtle details within darker areas that may go unnoticed by the observer’s casual gaze.

ORIGIN

Old Man Sleeping has had an eventful and itinerant history. Before reaching the collection of the Royal Museums in Turin, the painting had traveled across many places in Europe. This section features a map that narrates the different stages the artwork went through, offering a chronological reconstruction of its path from the creation location to its arrival in Turin.

EXPLORE FREELY

Thanks to the high-resolution scan of the work, visitors can explore the painting in great detail. Through the interactive features, they can freely zoom in on the picture magnifying its elements, and adjust and manipulate the image’s contrast and light tones to experience the painting in a way that is impossible to do in reality.

TURN AND LEARN

Lastly, "Turn and learn" is a section of exceptional relevance due to its innovative nature, allowing the public to uncover the hidden secrets behind the painting. Through the acquisition of images of the back of the canvas, we can access the mysteries concealed in the back of the work. Among them are sealing wax remnants, labels and inscriptions that provide additional valuable information and a unique perspective. These intriguing insights would otherwise be inaccessible when observing the displayed painting without the interactive totem.