Open Access

Werner Schweibenz

• This article analyses some major issues of the complex relationship between real and virtual museum exhibitions. While museums have a long tradition and experience in setting up physical exhibitions, they seem to be reluctant in creating virtual exhibitions. A hindering aspect seems to be the relationship between object and reproduction on the one hand and mediated and unmediated museum experience on the other, including the intricate issue of the aura of the original object. With the exhibition traditionally being the discursive space of museum communication, information technology is about to change the relationship between museums and visitors, culminating in the question of whether virtual exhibitions will replace the real ones. For a deeper understanding of this issue, it is necessary to take a closer look at the motivations for visiting in person and online. In order to create content that is intellectually accessible for both physical and virtual visitors, it is important to consider the relationship between digital collections and virtual exhibitions.