Thursday, April 16, 2020

Virtual museum visits

British Museum, London

This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. You can also find hundreds of artifacts on the museum’s virtual tour.

Guggenheim Museum, New York

Google’s Street View feature lets visitors tour the Guggenheim’s famous spiral staircase without ever leaving home. From there, you can discover incredible works of art from the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary eras.

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

This famous American art museum features two online exhibits through Google. The first is an exhibit of American fashion from 1740 to 1895, including many renderings of clothes from the colonial and Revolutionary eras. The second is a collection of works from Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

You can virtually walk through this popular gallery that houses dozens of famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1848 and 1914. Get a peek at artworks from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin, among others.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul

One of Korea’s popular museums can be accessed from anywhere around the world. Google’s virtual tour takes you through six floors of Contemporary art from Korea and all over the globe.

Pergamon Museum, Berlin

As one of Germany’s largest museums, Pergamon has a lot to offer – even if you can’t physically be there. This historical museum is home to plenty of ancient artifacts including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course, the Pergamon Altar.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Explore the masterworks from the Dutch Golden Age, including works from Vermeer and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel as if you’re actually wandering its halls.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Anyone who is a fan of this tragic, ingenious painter can see his works up close (or, almost up close) by virtually visiting this museum – the largest collection of artworks by Vincent van Gogh, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters.

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

European artworks from as far back as the 8th Century can be found in this California art museum. Take a Street View tour to discover a huge collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

This less well-known gallery houses the art collection of one of Florence, Italy’s most famous families, the de'Medicis. The building was designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 specifically for Cosimo I de'Medici, but anyone can wander its halls from anywhere in the world.

MASP, São Paulo

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo is a non-profit and Brazil’s first modern museum. Artworks placed on clear perspex frames make it seem like the artwork is hovering in midair. Take a virtual tour to experience the wondrous display for yourself.

National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

Built in 1964, this museum is dedicated to the archaeology and history of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic heritage. There are 23 exhibit rooms filled with ancient artifacts, including some from the Mayan civilization.

Sadly, not all popular art museums and galleries could be included on Google Arts & Culture’s collection, but some museums are taking it upon themselves to offer online visits. According to Fast Company, the Louvre also offers virtual tours on its website.
To see more of Google Arts & Culture’s collection of museums, visit the collection’s website. There are thousands of museum Street Views on Google as well. Google Arts & Culture also has an online experience for exploring famous historic and cultural heritage sites.

Friday, April 3, 2020

Deskercises






















Setting a daily routine and good habits
Being at home all week is very new to some of us. Hopefully by now you have organised your workspace to make it ergonomic, in line with Health and Safety guidance. Following that, it’s important to get into a routine and rhythm.
  • Start your day as if you were going into the office – it helps you establish a morning routine and become more mentally ready for the workday
  • Remember to take breaks – it can be easy to become absorbed in what you’re doing, but ensure you take regular breaks, stand up, stretch, make a drink, check on your pets – anything to step away from your workspace. You should also enjoy your lunch away from your workstation
  • Make a list and plan your daily work activities – just as it does in the office, this will help you stay on track, remain focused and help you maintain momentum
  • Stop working – you can’t ‘leave’ work when you’re working from home, so ensure that you wrap up and stop for the day. If you’re working in a communal space such as at the dining table, you may like to pack up your workstation at the end of the day or week to create a physical distance from work and allow yourself to ‘switch off’
You may also experience a distinct lack of physical activity, you’re no longer walking to the station or office, doing the school run and other daily activities that add to your step count, so make sure you step away from your chair for some outdoor or indoor exercise (in line with local guidance).
  • Couch to 5k programme – a light jog or gentle run can help clear your head, increase endorphins and improve your mood. If you’re new to jogging, download this app and get started. You can also use this app indoors on a treadmill, elliptical or similar machine
  • Yoga – if you feel a bit sore after a day at your desk, yoga can be a great way to stretch out your muscles and recalibrate your posture. Yoga with Adriene covers many classes of various abilities, you could start with the 30 days of Yoga series
  • Cardio – if you prefer more high-energy cardio, find a variety of cardio, dance and pilates workouts on this YouTube channel. Joe Wicks 'The Body Coach' also has many home workouts you can follow for various abilities including a more gentle series for seniors and a daily workout for children