Ask Lemmy

No.

It doesn't matter how hi-res photos are. Seeing the real thing is a different and essential experience.

For instance, I was in the Met in NYC last year, and just happened to walk into a room that contains one of Henry VIII's suits of battle armor. This is as close as I can ever be to meeting that historical figure, and I get to see in real dimensions how big and tall he was, and appreciate the worksmanship of his smiths.

The met also has some rebuilt rooms from historical places, such as Roman temples, and a photo can't replace those things. A photo cannot give you the experience of standing in a Roman temple.

Um, what's the point of sex, when you have porn? What's the point of concerts, when you have recorded music?

Ok, sorry that was snarky.

Recordings and pictures are important, but they are not the real thing. Public museums let people see, with their own eyes, art, in person. Is it essential? I don't know. But it is a public good

Also in public museums a lot of artifacts get damaged due to visitors behaviors.

This isn't a thing.

You probably haven't visited a good museum in a long time. You really should. The way they present some exhibitions is really informative and often also interactive. It's very memorable and interesting. Wikipedia just isn't the same and often doesn't even have the right presentation or lacks information to get the points across.

If I could give you one advice: go look proactively for a reasonably large museum that aligns with your interests. You'll be surprised how fun and informative it is.

Paintings are fascinating.

There is a luminescence in the paint and texture that cannot be duplicated on a screen or page.

I didn't really understand this myself until I attended a showing at the local museum of some rennaissance era artwork. It's stunning, and the photographs do not do it justice.

I love science museums. The ones I've been to let you do practical activities that a YouTube video wouldn't do justice. They also usually have a diner and it's just nice to go out with some friends to a science museum and chill out!

What's the benefit of leaving your house?

I am a huge fan of Salvador Dalí. While visiting Florida I went to the Dali museum. I saw paintings I never knew existed. Saw paintings I had seen in print and digitally multiple times, and they looked so different in person. Sometimes you cannot comprehend how large or how small a painting is unless you see it in person. Melting clocks & Gala’s bare breast/10 would visit again.

I live just a few miles from Crystal Bridges, which is world class art museum founded by Alice Walton. They don't charge any admission since they're funded by a pretty hefty endowment. It's a really cool place.

Seeing a photograph of a painting is a far cry from seeing the actual painting. If for no other reason than a photograph is two dimensional. It's a little harder to appreciate art that someone made with their own hands two centuries ago when you can't see the texture or the defects. Not even in a really high quality photo. It's just not the same.

And you don't touch the paintings because there are security guards everywhere who have no problem reminding you to not touch the paintings.

I wondered and have asked about this as well.

There are some things you have to be there to understand though.

Sense of scale

A place for teenagers to go on dates.

Have you ever been to Disney World, at Ripley's Believe It Or Not, and had your photo taken next to a real shrunken human head at age 5?

I have. I still have the photo around somewhere too.

Creepy shit yo, and I'm almost 1000% certain it was the real deal. You better bet your ass nobody was about to touch that thing.

At Disney World no less..