The Benedictine Abbey of Admont and the digitisation specialists at LightCyde have created a unique platform.
Thursday, 21 January 2021
www.discover-culture.com combines the offerings of individual cultural institutions into a joint digital package. Following the launch in Europe, the platform will also go online in Asia and the USA.
The Benedictine monastery in Admont has already won the Austrian State Prize for PR. Now the monastic institution is once again in the spotlight. At an online press conference, the Benedictine monastery in Upper Styria presented a world first: www.discover-culture.com is the name of the new platform, which includes the digitalised offerings of numerous cultural institutions and sights and enables a network and international marketing. Geographical borders disappear. Cultural sites such as Tratzberg Castle in Tyrol, Hochosterwitz Castle in Carinthia and the world's largest monastery library in Admont are now just a few clicks away from each other. "We are proud to have created another innovative milestone in the cultural sector, as the communication of faith, culture and knowledge is a central concern of our house," says Gerhard Hafner OSB, Abbot of Admont Abbey, and emphasises: "Thanks to the unique cultural networking and marketing platform cultour.digital, you can now explore our diverse museum not only physically, but also virtually."
Virtual tour of places of interest
Stroll through historic walls, marvel at unique art and cultural treasures or take part in a live guided tour. Specially developed software comes into play to make the virtual visit an extraordinary experience. Virtual guests experience an outstanding 360-degree view, numerous audio and additional functions and gain insights that visitors cannot get on site, as Mario Brandmüller, project developer and Head of Culture, Tourism and PR at Admont Abbey, explains using the monastery library as an example: "You walk through secret passages, let your gaze wander over the ceremonial hall in the gallery and can read centuries-old books. And all at very attractive prices."
An interactive and intuitive experience
This sophisticated software was developed by the start-up company LightCyde, which has been improving the online presence of companies across Europe since 2016. Its core competencies lie in the areas of conception, design and programming of new websites and apps, e-commerce platforms, search engine optimisation, SEM and online marketing. "The development of the platform was realised technically and in terms of multimedia on the basis of state-of-the-art technologies. The conceptual focus is on international access to all cultural institutions. This enables us to offer all users a modern, experience-orientated, interactive and intuitive cultural experience. A sustainable, international cultural platform has been realised, taking into account the idea of synergy as well as extensive advertising and marketing opportunities for all cultural institutions," says project developer and managing director of LightCyde, Thomas Fischbacher.
Conquering Europe, Asia and the USA
Stay at home and still enjoy a wide range of cultural and museum offerings. The new cultural platform is a response to the coronavirus pandemic and also "enables us to reach a target group of many hundreds of millions of people with our digitalised offering," says Mario Brandmüller. The website has already gone online in Europe. The next step is to conquer Asia and the USA. "We have seen incredible growth since the launch of the cultural platform. Many partners are interested. This is reflected in the numerous enquiries we have received not only from Austrian cultural organisations, but from all over Europe," says a delighted Thomas Fischbacher from LightCyde.
Cultural television with AppleTV and Amazon Fire TV
Admont Abbey Museum, Kunstforum Wien, Kornberg Castle, Hochosterwitz Castle, Rein Abbey, Wilten Abbey, For Forest, Tratzberg Castle, Kunstraum Liezen - the list of participating institutions is getting longer by the week. No wonder, because shortly after the launch of the platform, work is already underway on further development. In addition to virtual tours, live streams and videos on demand will soon be available. Nothing stands in the way of a cultural evening on the couch. A monthly subscription provides access to cultural films and series that are broadcast via Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV.
The bridge to the real cultural experience
"Cultour.digital is the perfect complement to an on-site visit, but does not replace it. Rather, the new platform is a virtual bridge to the real cultural experience," emphasises Head of PR Mario Brandmüller. The virtual tours are particularly suitable for the preparation and follow-up of on-site visits, as the implementation of interesting information via audio or video sequences enables a unique and comprehensive transfer of culture and knowledge. In order to promote the networking of virtual tours and on-site visits, there will also be attractive combined offers in future.
Statements on the new cultural platform
Count Franz-Christoph Khevenhüller-Metsch ( Hochosterwitz Castle / Cybertours GmbH)
In close cooperation with Admont Abbey and LightCyde GmbH, our aim is also for cultour.digital to become "the platform" for virtual cultural experiences in order to preserve our cultural heritage in the digital age and make education more accessible in new ways. We want to get private and state museums, castle owners, art collections and other places of interest interested in our project. For this reason, we plan to make the world's great sights accessible together on cultour.digital.
Dr Wolfgang Lamprecht (Head of Corporate Communications, Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien)
The challenge for art education in general is that it increasingly has to compete with other leisure activities. Digital art education also has to master the task of competing with professional digital offerings from the media and entertainment industry. The solution here can only be found in the mediation of quality content combined with the possibility of active audience participation. At the same time, digital content - and we can now build on the relevant experience of the media industry - must be allowed to cost something. In cultour.digital, the Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien has found a committed and highly professional partner who is helping us to further develop digital mediation at a level that is clearly unique. Together, we want to take up the postulate of art and media theorist Peter Weibel: be better than Netflix!
Helmut Feier (CEO of CastYourArt)
We were the first in Austria to communicate art through moving images. Our focus is on artist portraits on the one hand and exhibition formats on the other. Over the last ten years, we have produced over 400 films, which will soon be available on Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV thanks to our involvement in the cultour.digital platform. The time is ripe for this type of art mediation, as the coronavirus crisis has created a veritable hype for digital cultural content. As a pioneer in this field, I see the potential of this platform above all in being able to reach a younger audience. It's a completely new approach that really excites me.
Ulrich Count Goess-Enzenberg (Tratzberg Castle)
Tratzberg Castle is expanding its existing visitor offering of audio guide tours and a new 3D virtual reality tour to include another contemporary educational channel in the form of digital tours via the "Cultour.digital" platform for museums and cultural institutions. This option is intended to appeal to a wide audience across national borders. Potential visitors to the castle, young people with their particular affinity to social media and the internet as well as those interested in the subject can also be reached in advance and their interest aroused.
Barbara Aigner (Communications and Marketing Officer, Municipality of Liezen)
The municipality of Liezen wants to take advantage of the unique opportunity to present art and cultural projects in a digital art space in the town centre. In cooperation with Admont Abbey and the "cultour.digital" project, this project, which is currently the only one of its kind in the world, can be experienced by the public and guests outside of museums and collections using virtual reality glasses and live streaming.