More Information

Q&A

ArtMuseum is the creation of London based artist Raymond O'Daly. Below is a little more information on the project.

AM: How did the idea of ArtMuseum come about?

ROD: I have been using computer models in my work for a long time and the software has become so good lately that I realised it would be a very interesting way to see art. I started by just making large rooms to hang works in and it looked great. It’s pretty cool to visualise new work in a scaled space and at the same time show other people what you are up to.  

AM: So then you made a museum? 

ROD: Well yes, I went from these first single-room designs to "what if the whole thing could be bigger? What if it were a museum?" All of a sudden one can start thinking about lots of different possibilities. The museum could be very nimble. It wouldn't need big budgets, just imagination. What if we could start connecting artists in different parts of the world, Syria, Israel/Palestine, Mali, North London, wherever, all putting on shows here, now that would be exciting.

AM: There are other examples of this on the net, why is this different?

ROD: This is much better, not only in terms of quality but also in the amount of information that's given. Plus it’s been designed to make it very easy for people to interact with while not spoiling the aesthetics. Importantly though, no downloading, all can be viewed in a browser window.

AM: So are you just offering a fake reality?

ROD: No. You have to think of it more like a catalogue or a magazine. It's another way to convey information. It is a visual way to show creative ideas and practices. 

AM: So what is the process for artists to show their work?

ROD: Most of it is done with photography or 3D scanning. For paintings we just need measurements and good photos, while for sculptures we might need 3D scans. If we can't get there to do the scanning ourselves, it’s not too difficult or too expensive to rent a scanner it just needs to be available locally. Video art is quite a simple process for our exhibitions.

AM: Does it suit all artists' work?

ROD: There is always going to be a trade off, things like performance, might not work so well.... works that are time based or extremely complex might be a challenge, that’s just the way of things but we will push it to the limit. On the plus side, artworks that are in the planning stages are encouraged, as long as the work can be physically made and can be modelled, we will put it on show. ​Take for example Jeff Koons' Balloon Dog. Only a few artists could have had the resources to make it. So if an artist lacks the resources to create a work we might be able to help out and visualise it here.

AM: Why a Museum and not a ​gallery?

ROD: I guess I see galleries as more of a commercial thing than a museum, that’s not a criticism against galleries it’s just I’m not a gallerist and I would like this to be more of an artistic idea. The main thing about ArtMuseum is to make connections. Though to blur things a little ArtMuseum will have works for sale when an artist chooses

AM: Why Paris?

ROD: ​Because it is a center for modern art and because it is also at the heart of Europe. I think it's important to give the museum a real location and as I'm living in Europe it's a good place to start. Hopefully we can design more museums in different locations in the world.

AM: I guess there is a lot to do even though it seems to have been built?

ROD: Yes, lots more. The next part is to open it up to interested curators and possibly get a little sponsorship. The art world can be a little resistant to these things, after all nothing beats a real life show with drinks and a private view. It's definitely not a substitute for the real thing but you will never have to miss an exhibition at ArtMuseum as the archive will be open to all.