From Theatre to Museum. An Online Collection for the Digital Sharing of Lipari Masks

The paper, after having illustrated introductory aspects of a disciplinary nature and having contextualized the topic, shows some results relating to an ongoing research experience currently being carried out at the Bernabò Brea Archaeological Park in Lipari. These outcomes are based on the construction of a shared digital collection through the use of a well-known web platform of 3D resources. The selected finds were digitized through the use of Structure From Motion (SFM) digital photogrammetry. The digital models produced were uploaded into the Sketchfab online repository service and inserted into a virtual museum collection created for this purpose. The construction of the collection allows the use of the finds themselves through direct viewing (by sharing the link or using QR codes) on any mobile or desktop browser, or through virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets. The finds can also be included in museum itineraries built as virtual tours. The virtual collection is now populated by sixteen masks; however, the alignment aimed at loading the other finds already acquired is currently underway. It is therefore expected, at the end of the step currently underway, to share between 20 and 25 masks belonging to different types, in order to provide a significant sample of the large Lipari collection. Open prospects and ongoing scientific investigations concern studies on the physical wearability of models, transformed to an appropriate scale, the production of analog replicas and collaboration in the preparation of museum spaces for accessibility, and the digital manipulation of artefacts.