Virtual tour enhances accessibility to Giorgio Preca exhibition

20/01/2022

Anyone who is unable to visit in person the Giorgio Preca exhibition currently being held at MUŻA, may now view the displayed paintings digitally thanks to a virtual tour produced by Heritage Malta’s Digitisation Unit.

Entitled ‘Giorgio Preca (1909 – 1984) ta’ Malta: An International Artist with a Modern Spirit’, the exhibition was launched last December and presents works from the artist’s family’s collection which have been loaned to Heritage Malta, as well as Preca’s self-portrait which Heritage Malta acquired in 2019.

The production of the virtual tour fulfils two main goals. First and foremost, the tour gives permanence to an otherwise temporary exhibition. Through the virtual tour, one may explore the exhibition permanently by means of a VR set or a laptop. The second goal is to provide access to anyone who cannot visit MUŻA physically, including people living abroad.

The virtual tour is just one of several digital tools being put to use by Heritage Malta to make the visitor’s experience in museums and sites as interactive as possible. Aided by these tools, Heritage Malta is creating experiences that arouse the interest of all visitors, be they experts or laymen, while ensuring that its sites and museums are dynamic venues enjoyed by people from all walks of life and of all ages.

In fact, the Giorgio Preca exhibition epitomises Heritage Malta’s efforts towards a visitor-centred experience in its sites and museums, with immersive and interactive features that bring the paintings to life.

Noel Zammit, Heritage Malta’s Chief Executive Officer, said that the virtual tour complementing this exhibition reflects Heritage Malta’s mission to increase public accessibility to Malta’s cultural patrimony both physically and digitally, irrespective of one’s whereabouts. More virtual tours are on the cards in the near future, including tours of Heritage Malta’s museums and sites.

The Giorgio Preca exhibition is on until the 27th of February. MUŻA is open every day except Mondays and Thursdays, between 09:00 and 16:30. Every Friday during the month of February, visiting times for the exhibition will be extended between the hours of 18:00 and 21:00. The normal admission fee for the exhibition during February’s extended hours is €5 per person. However, during these extended hours a guided walk-through of the exhibition is being offered at 20:00 at the cost of €10 per person instead of €5 (tickets available here: https://shop.heritagemalta.org). The museum will not be open during February’s extended opening hours on Fridays.