Tech: Himalayan art on the go

A museum in New York exhibits works of Himalayan art on a new mobile app

How will news about the launch of an official app by a New York museum affect Mumbai’s readers? A lot, actually. Rubin Museum Art based in New York recently introduced an app that allows not just its visitors but also art aficionados worldwide to download and share audio content, art images, maps and more on their mobile devices.

The museum is known for its extensive collection of art from the Himalayas, India and its neighbouring regions — from Tibetan comics that explore the mythical Yeti, to rare photographs of Jawaharlal Nehru, artworks that explore Wutaishan — a group of five towering, flat-topped peaks in the Shanxi Province of China — or the ongoing show, Steve McCurry: India, which chronicles the American photographer’s journey through India with displays of intriguing scenes of everyday life in the country. Now, with the official app, The Rubin, available on Android and iOS devices, the museum hopes to reach out to art lovers across the world.

Pic Courtesy/Rubin Museum of art

According to the museum, the app will allow users to experience exhibitions and artworks from home or on your commute, and become further immersed in the art and ideas of the Himalayas. The app will also enable users to share the museum’s collection of Himalayan art and related exhibitions across social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook from the app as well as email them to their contacts. Fans can also use the app to take virtual tours of the museum with a combination of audio, video, images, slideshows and textual interpretations.

As for those visiting the museum, the app allows them to bookmark favourite artworks to create a customised tour, find their way in the museum with interactive maps and access useful visitor information, including museum hours and ticket bookings.
Coming up next in the museum’s exhibition calendar is Try To Altar Everything, a new show featuring works of artist Breyer P-Orridge. The show explores how Hindu mythology and Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley impacted the artist and her work. It will be interesting to see if any local museums take some inspiration from the newly launched app. Now that sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it?

The app is available for free download for Android and iOS devices in their respective app stores.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!