3D Online Art Museum ‘MUSEUM APEIRA’ Opens... Free Viewing Worldwide

MUSEUM APEIRA, an online art museum where visitors can move through a 3D virtual exhibition space to view artworks, has opened its doors. It can be accessed via the internet without installing a separate app or registering as a member, and the exhibition is operated for free.

Opened on the 7th, MUSEUM APEIRA is an online art museum that presents works through the internet without a physical exhibition space. Visitors can explore the virtual exhibition hall by accessing the official website via computer or smartphone. There are no restrictions on viewing hours or closing days.

While existing online galleries focused on listing artwork images or digitally recreating actual exhibition halls, MUSEUM APEIRA chose a method of separately designing exhibition spaces to match the artist's world of work. By reflecting the colors, light, and atmosphere of the artworks in the spatial composition, it allows visitors to appreciate the works while moving through the virtual exhibition hall.

The opening exhibition is the solo exhibition 《As If Embracing Empty Space》 by painter Sim Hyeon-hui. It presents a total of 34 pieces, including paintings and installation records of the artist, who has worked with the horizon and sky as primary subjects. The exhibition is centered around paintings produced from 2015 to 2025, and includes installation records from the 2021 solo exhibition 《Inhale_Exhale》.

In this exhibition, works such as 〈Western Sky〉 (2020), 〈Gretel's Forest〉 (2024), 〈Navigator of the Western Sea〉 (2024), and 〈Black Moon〉 (2025) can be seen. The virtual exhibition hall is composed so that the sunset-colored sea is placed at the visitors' feet, allowing the horizon in the paintings to connect with the scenery of the exhibition hall.

The museum provides exhibition information in nine languages, including Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese. It supports multilingual audio commentary for each work and a docent tour function that allows users to move through the exhibition hall while listening to commentary. For users who find 3D viewing difficult, a 2D digital catalog is also provided to view the works in order. The museum plans to operate by preserving the works and the exhibition space in digital form even after the exhibition ends.

CEO Kim Rio, who planned and produced MUSEUM APEIRA, has been active as an art artist, a private gallery operator, and an art educator. She conceived the online art museum because exhibition space rental fees, short exhibition periods, and the travel distance for visitors act as constraints for both artists and visitors. Subsequently, she learned generative artificial intelligence (AI) related technologies and interacted with developers to carry out everything from 3D space design to programming and website construction.

Kim said, "I felt regret seeing exhibitions that disappear quickly due to rental fees and short exhibition periods. I wanted to create an art museum where works do not disappear even after the exhibition ends and can be met at any time."

MUSEUM APEIRA plans to expand its programs in the future to include solo exhibitions by artists, gallery-curated exhibitions, and exhibitions of collections from institutions and brands. The theme for the first season is 'Materiality,' which will introduce works by various artists in a virtual space, focusing on water, light, atmosphere, and reflection.

The museum name 'apeira' means 'the infinite' in Greek.

Read the original (Korean)