Although it was implemented almost a decade ago, YouTube Play remains one of the few online museum projects with such a large global scope and outreach. The online platform attracted thousands of online participants and millions of followers from around the world. It engaged online audiences in numerous debates on the roles and responsibilities of contemporary museums as well as the meaning and function of art.
Through digital ethnography, I will analyse the communicative space of YouTube Play, so as to understand the expectations of online users as to their museum experience in the age of digital interactivity. I will argue that the experimental nature of YouTube Play raised much concern among audiences and questioned its cultural value while involving online visitors in truth-seeking conversations on contemporary arts. In addition, the facilitating role of YouTube Play, which posed important questions for deliberation and led to thought-provoking dialogue among international online audiences, will be highlighted in the present article.
Source: Article Abstract
