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Laman Ismayilova

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The integration of digital technology with museum practices is reshaping how we interact with cultural heritage.

With new technological advancements and creative exhibition strategies, museums are improving visitor engagement and expanding the accessibility of their collections to audiences worldwide.

The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum has hosted a seminar titled "Digital Technologies and Exhibition Practices in Museums," focusing on the digital transformation of the museum sector and contemporary, bold approaches to exhibitions that make the perception of collections more engaging and accessible to audiences, AzerNEWS reports.

The main topics revolved around the "reboot" of museums in the digital age: from the creation of global online platforms to the implementation of daring design solutions within exhibition halls. Participants discussed how a regular collection viewing could become an exciting event and how to ensure a dialogue between culture and the modern generation.

A key discussion point was the digital development strategy presented by Vladimir Opredelenov, the Director of Development at the Almaty Museum of Arts, founder and CEO of the Digital Art & Technologies Agency, as well as a curator and ambassador of the digital art project ART Registry.

In his presentation "Innovation, Society, Culture: Unseen Connections," he explained how digital technologies are changing museums. According to the expert, we are on the verge of erasing the boundaries between the physical and the virtual. Today, technology is not a competitor to art; it makes museums more alive and contemporary, where technology does not distract from art but helps viewers experience it more deeply.

In his talk "Museum Digital Development Strategy," Opredelenov introduced the concept of a unified digital ecosystem. This framework represents the foundation for the museum's new life, where the digitalization of collections and the creation of a cohesive digital ecosystem link collections, researchers, and audiences into a single, living network.

Lighting plays a special role in shaping the atmosphere of a museum. In her presentation "Lighting Dramaturgy in Museum Exhibitions: Method and Practice," Ksenia Lanikina, a lighting designer, founder of the YARKO studio and the YARKO School platform, discussed the principles of lighting design based on the specific characteristics of exhibits and how lighting "brings exhibitions to life," becoming their main storyteller.

Using examples from her own work, she demonstrated how the clever interplay of light and shadow can change the mood in a room and guide the viewer's attention, emphasizing the most important aspects of the exhibition.

The meeting highlighted that the integration of digital strategies and subtle design creates an environment where cultural heritage becomes truly accessible to everyone.

The event received a positive response from the professional community, including curators, designers, and all those who are currently transforming the museum environment and making culture more accessible.

The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum is one of the country's most important cultural institutions dedicated to preserving, researching, and promoting the art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving, which is recognized as a key element of national heritage and has been inscribed on UNESCO's lists of intangible cultural heritage.

The museum was established in 1967, and today it houses a rich and diverse collection of more than 10,000 exhibits, including rare carpets, carpet-making tools, national costumes, jewelry, and works of applied art that reflect different historical schools of Azerbaijani carpet weaving.

In recent years, the museum has built strong partnerships with leading museums and cultural organizations abroad by organizing and participating in exhibitions in more than 30 countries, including across Europe, Asia, and beyond.

These international projects allow Azerbaijani carpet art to be showcased to global audiences while also enabling academic collaboration in conservation, textile research, and museum studies.