Tag Archives: Google Arts & Culture

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison on Google Arts & Culture

Nelson Mandela, photograph by Andrew Zuckerman, copyright Nelson R. Mandela, from the collection of: Nelson Mandela Foundation
Thirty years ago today, Madiba was returned back to the people after having served 27 years in prison as he fought the apartheid rule. Millions of people around the world had campaigned for his release for decades, and were finally able to watch him walk out of Victor Verster Prison and give his first address at Cape Town city hall. The 11th of February is a symbol of the ‘long walk to freedom,’ and a testament of how Madiba paved a new path for hope.


To commemorate this day, The Nelson Mandela Foundation and Google Arts & Culture have collaborated to launch a digital project allowing everyone to be inspired by Madiba’s life and legacy at g.co/longwalktofreedom. As one of the first partners to launch on Google Arts & Culture in 2012, we showcase our joint commitment towards preserving Madiba’s legacy and sharing it online with everyone, everywhere. By harnessing the power of technology, we invite you to join Madiba's journey through over 1000 high resolution photographs and videos, over thirty digital stories and two virtual tours with Street View.
Nelson Mandela walks out of the gates of Victor Verster prison, 11 February 1990, photograph by Gideon Mendel / Courtesy of ARTCO Gallery, from the collection of the Nelson Mandela Foundation
The digital project brings together activists, leaders and people key to carrying on Madiba’s legacy through intimate stories and photographs. Listen to Verne Harris, Madiba’s personal archivist, narrate his memories of the day and why he thinks it’s crucial for the collective memory of South Africa. Even if you were born free in the 2000s, Zulaikha Patel, an activist for gender equality, argues there is still a long way to go. Listen to her being inspired by that day, and how it has fueled her passion for activism and human rights.


As you’re exploring Madiba's life and legacy and how he has influenced many people alive today, be sure to step into the Cape Town City Hall in VR. Take a few moments to reflect on where you are today, and what you want to create for the generations to come. As Madiba said “For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”



Posted by Sello Hatang, Chief Executive, The Nelson Mandela Foundation and Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, Google Policy Manager


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Explore millennia of human inventions in one exhibition

https://img.youtube.com/vi/ud5eq2A-Lmc/maxresdefault.jpg Simon Rein Program Manager Google Arts & Culture
New inventions have fueled fantasies and shaped human society — from the first stone tools to robotic arms, the steam engine to jet propulsion, pieces of paper to the internet, hieroglyphics to emoji. Take the telescope, for example. Today, the Hubble Space Telescope orbits 340 miles above the Earth, capturing crisp images of 10,000 galaxies that are up to 13 billion years old. The idea for the telescope was born in 1608 from Dutch spectacle-maker Hans Lippershey's idea, and Galileo Galileo later improved the design, then pointed it at the sky. Several decades and conceptual explorations later, Govind Swarup built two of the world’s largest radio-telescopes near Ooty and Pune.


Today, we’re celebrating the objects and ideas dreamt up and created by inventors, scientists and dreamers. Thanks to over 110 institutions, including National Council of Science Museums and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research from India, as well as dedicated curators and archivists from 23 countries around the world, you can explore a millennia of human progress in Once Upon a Try, now available on Google Arts & Culture. With over 400 interactive collections, it’s the largest online exhibition about inventions, discoveries, and innovations ever created.



Watch a documentary about Govind Swarup’s inspiring journey of building the largest radio-telescopes in India

See a collection of  100 digitised notes from Albert Einstein via Académie des sciences




Chewang Norphel, the man single-handedly combating climate change with artificial glaciers, a story by Unsung Foundation

Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian woman to go to space, via NASA




Join the journey of chess becoming a global game with Salar Jung Museum

Revisit the story of the first electronic computer developed and commissioned in India with Tata Institute of Fundamental Research




Explore the origins of Ayurveda, the Indian contributions to the field of medicine with National Council of Science Museums

Explore CERN’s 27 km long Large Hadron Collider in a virtual tour

In addition to the exhibition, you can download a “Big Bang” augmented reality app, which we developed in collaboration with CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. In the app, you’ll embark on an epic 360-degree journey through the birth and evolution of the universe. With Tilda Swinton as your guide, witness the formation of the very first stars and watch planet Earth take shape in the palm of your hand. Using Google’s machine learning, you can also explore NASA's vast archive of 127,000 historic images with a new tool called NASA's Visual Universe. See the history of discoveries and missions, or search for a term to learn more about the space agency. You can also tour Space Shuttle Discovery — based in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum — in 360 degrees, with the astronauts who once called it home as your hosts.




Within the Once Upon a Try exhibition, you can dive into virtual walkthroughs to tour the sites of great discoveries, from the deep underground of CERN to the high-in-the-sky International Space Station. Zoom into 200,000 artifacts in high definition, like the first map of the Americas and Saturn and its 62 moons. Get the lowdown on big inventions (from zero to emoji to the toilet) or hear five inspirational scientists talk about superpowers — like shapeshifting — that are being created through science. Meet the Einsteins and Curies, or learn more about champions behind-the-scenes — like Chewang Norphel, the man single-handedly combating climate change with artificial glaciers, or Rajnish Jain, who found a method to harness electricity from pine needles, or Mary Anning, the pioneering female paleontologist who discovered the pterodactyl.
Woven through the exhibition are tales of lucky accidents, epic fails and even people who died for their projects — like Röntgen’s fluke discovery of x-rays, Isaac Peral’s ingenious electric submarine that never launched and Marie Curie’s quest to find polonium, which led to her own death from radioactive poisoning. Despite these setbacks, human endeavour is a never-ending journey — and you can imagine that only a few things are as exhilarating as that “eureka” moment when everything falls into place. Get all the tips you need to become and inventor, and learn why it’s important to embrace failure through the stories of pioneers like Ada Lovelace, Mae Jemison and Chien-Shiung Wu.


We hope this tribute to human discovery inspires a new generation of creators to be curious, to seek what lies beyond the known and to try something new. Explore “Once Upon a Try” on Google Arts & Culture or via our iOS or Android app and join the conversation on #OnceUponaTry.

Simon Rein, Program Manager Google Arts & Culture

From the courtly fashions of Versailles to the unmatched elegance of the Saree: 3000 years of fashion brought to you in a new, immersive way


What we wear tells a lot about our social identity, our customs, our habits and where we come from. It's appropriate to say that we don’t just wear clothes – we wear our culture!

Highlighting this very aspect, we at Google Arts & Culture have launched an exciting new project “We wear culture” that showcases 3000 years of fashion from across 42 countries in partnership with 183 world famous museums, fashion councils and universities. Using state of the art technology, including Virtual Reality, 360º videos and Gigapixel images, the platform enables unique online access to historic and contemporary stories that decode the various aspects of fashion for everyone. The stories, photos, videos and VR experiences will appeal to all those who are curious about its various intersections with music, pop culture, dance, technology,  economics and so much more.

So if you want to know more about the ancient Silk Road, or the courtly fashions of Versailles, to how the Vivienne Westwood Corset came to be reconceived as a symbol for sexual empowerment, or the origin of the British punk or the stories behind the clothes you wear today, it’s all there at g.co/wewearculture. Perhaps you’re looking for more? You can explore even the Iconic pieces that changed the way generations dressed, be it Marilyn Monroe’s famous Ruby Slipper by Salvatore Ferragamo or the Black Dress by Chanel. It’s there for you to explore,  at your fingertips and at your leisure.

           



Vivienne Westwood Corset courtesy Victoria & Albert Museum; Ruby Slipper of Marilyn Monroe courtesy Museo Salvatore Ferragamo

The Richness and diversity of Indian Fashion has always been marked by its distinctive and varied craftsmanship, it’s fabrics, the weaves, the natural dyes and vibrant colours as well as the classic Indian drape - the iconic Indian Saree. It would be apt to say that the most versatile garment in the world, the saree, is referenced the world over and worn by millions of women on a daily basis.

To celebrate the rich history of this iconic nine yards, Border & Fall in The Sari Project  have explored 60 regional draping styles. You can also view in detail the varied weaves from across India, from Gharchola to  Patola to Temple to Ikat sarees or trace the story and importance of Indian textiles from ancient sculptures, to heirloom textiles and how events such as Gandhi’s Khadi Movement influenced the craftsmanship from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS). Available online from the CSMVS collection are the heirloom sarees of the Tagore family and that of Homi J. Bhabha’s family.
Various sari drapes courtesy Border&Fall

Of the people, of the land. There is plenty of regional textile and fashion heritage to be discovered. You can revisit the colonial Indian fashion with Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum, and trace the story of the history and impact of cotton in early trade of textiles. Then there are the designs from north-eastern India including the weaves of tribes such as the Nagas, Meitis and the traditional attire from Meghalaya called ‘Dhara’ or ‘Nara’ worn by the Khasi women during special occasions, made up of costly Mulberry and Eri silk yarn.  From down south, view Salar Jung Museum’s exhibits capturing the dress and fashion of royal attires of the Nizams from 19th century Hyderabad (part of Deccan region). Revisit the art of Brocades, Patola and Baluchari with a special exhibit by Museum of Art and Photography.





Navjote ceremony coat of Cursetjee Vakil courtesy CSMVS; Ethnographic documentation of drape styles courtesy CSMVS; Salar Jung III in a sherwani courtesy Salar Jung Museum

The SEWA Hansiba Museum in Randhapur is completely owned and managed by rural women artisans. The museum contains heirlooms by the local communities, such as the Ahir, Rabari and Harijan. The local skilling has helped bond stronger communities, and top fashion designers are now approaching them for fashion sampling. Flamboyant stitches to regional exchanges, the women are building economic security for themselves.


If it is colour that catches your interest, then explore how Indigo cultivation dates back to the Indus Valley civilisation and how this natural dye has been often credited with opening up an extensive range of beautiful blue shades that redefined global fashion even as the knowledge of extracting blue color from green leaves of indigo was closely guarded within the families.  You don’t have to stop at Indigo or India, you can explore the colour palette of global fashion over the years.

With over over 400 online exhibitions and stories sharing a total of 30.000 photos, videos and other documents;  4 virtual reality experiences of iconic fashion pieces; over 700 ultra high-resolution gigapixel images and over 40 venues offer backstage access on Google Street View you could easily get lost in fashion!

We could not have done this it without our partners around the globe. In India we are very proud to partner with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum (BDL), SEWA Hansiba Museum, Salar Jung Museum, Indian Museum Kolkata, Museum of Art & Photography, Craft Revival Trust, Avani Society, Worldview Impact Foundation, Border & Fall to celebrate this rich history of Indian fashion and bring to life the creativity, heritage and craftsmanship -- for anyone around the world to see, learn, experience and cherish. The new online exhibition opens today at g.co/wewearculture online for free and will also be available through the Google Arts & Culture mobile app both on iOS and Android.

Posted by Simon Rein, India Programme Manager, Google Arts & Culture


Google Arts & Culture puts the spotlight on Indian women in history and their impact on culture

Throughout our country’s history, there have been many women — some familiar and others lesser-known — who were pioneers and pathbreakers, leaving their imprint on our shared heritage and culture. Starting today, you can explore the narratives of some of these women on “Women in India: Unheard Stories”, a collection of artworks and virtual exhibitions spanning 2,500 years from 24 cultural institutions across the country in a single destination on the Google Arts & Culture platform


Come on a journey as we meet some of India’s iconic women and unsung heroines through history. From goddesses to leaders, artists and doctors, mothers and daughters who strived for new horizons for their families — these collections reveal the many facets of women in India, and the impact they’ve had on building and shaping the nation as it stands today.

Sacred Thread and Women (American Institute of Indian Studies)
As early as 550 CE, stone reliefs show the sacred thread, a marker of wisdom and knowledge, being bestowed on women. Incarnations of the goddess Parvati like the one from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh (shown below) depict her wearing sacred thread, indicating her strength and knowledge at par with male gods.


Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum (Rekhta Foundation)
Learn about Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum, the erstwhile ruler of Bhopal, who defied convention and stereotypes in the 19th century, and left a legacy in infrastructure, architecture, arts and education. Excerpts from the Begum’s autobiography show her passion for creating opportunities for Hindu and Muslim girls to gain an education.  


Women During Partition: Rebuilding Lives (The 1947 Partition Archive)
In more recent history, explore the stories of young girls and women who went on to educate themselves and take responsibility for their families following Partition in 1947. Or read the moving memoirs of women volunteers who came forward to help people who had been displaced by Partition.


See the world through the eyes of modern and contemporary women artists, including Amrita Sher-Gil, Anita Dube, Bharti Kher, Dayanita Singh, Ranjani Shettar, Sheba Chhachhi, Sheela Gowda, Mrinalini Mukherji and Nasreen Mohamedi.


We brought our new Art Camera to capture and digitally preserve collections at the National Museum in Delhi. Using the custom-built Art Camera, we’re able to digitize more artwork in ultra high resolution, more quickly than ever possible before. This in turn allows more people to explore artwork in much greater detail. Zoom into this wonderful depiction of women playing polo as early as as the 18th century, an activity that was traditionally in the male domain.

Come and explore these collections of women who changed India forever on Google Arts & Culture on the web, on iOS and Android.

Posted by Luisella Mazza, Head of Operations, Google Arts & Culture




An extinct world brought back to life with Google Arts & Culture

Many millions of years ago, dinosaurs ruled the Earth and sea dragons were not just Hollywood creations, but fearsome predators that stalked the oceans. It’s a world that vanished long ago, but one that continues to fascinate those seeking to understand the origins of life on our planet.


To allow anyone, anywhere to explore this world, we’ve partnered with more than 50 of the leading natural history institutions and scientists, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in India, to bring this lost world to life again online. From today, you’ll be able to browse through more than 150 interactive stories, 300,000 new photos and videos and more than 30 virtual tours on Google Arts & Culture, exploring the beautiful, the dangerous and the endangered.


With just a few clicks on Google Arts & Culture, you can come face to face with a 180 million year old giant, as virtual reality raises the colossal sea dragon from extinction.



Discovered in Dorset in the UK and residing at London’s Natural History Museum, the Rhomaleosaurus — to give it its formal name — can now be explored in 360 degrees. We also used VR to bring the Giraffatitan back to life in Berlin’s natural history museum. Standing at 13 meters (42 feet), it’s one of the tallest dinosaurs that ever lived. It was twice as tall as today’s giraffes, and could easily put its head through a fourth floor window.


We worked with ecologists, paleontologists and biologists, to put virtual skin and flesh on the preserved skeletons. From the size of the eye to the position of the snout and the bend of the neck, the texture and creases of the skin were all painstakingly recreated, and verified by a team of scientists. For the best experience, use a viewer like Google Cardboard to look the beast in the eye.


In addition to the VR experiences, we’ve added plenty more artifacts and features for experts and armchair explorers alike:


  • Explore how the animal form has inspired Indian artists over the years and their exotic creations for their royal patrons in India including the “Barut Dan”, a gun powder flask made of ivory carved in the shape of a leaping antelope escaping its hunters.


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  • View the rare specimens of the White Tigress and the Great Indian Hornbill and other rare and endangered fauna of the Indian Subcontinent
  • Turn back time by 4.6 billion years with the help of the Natural History Museum by scrolling through the history of life from the origins of the solar system, through the rise and the fall of prehistoric worlds.
  • View 3,000 species on display in one giant cabinet or find out how our own predecessors may have looked.
  • With Street View, walk around dinosaurs in New York, explore 30+ natural history museums from to Australia to Russia and even go underwater with turtles in Brazil.
  • Join YouTube’s Vsauce2 to discover the story of Martha, the last passenger pigeon.


The free collection opens today at g.co/naturalhistory and through the Google Arts & Culture mobile app on iOS and Android. And if you are a teacher, there are more than 20 new Google Expeditions waiting for you and your classroom to discover. We hope you enjoy this journey through the history of nature as much as we do.

Posted by Simon Rein, Program Manager, Google Cultural Institute