[Edaily Reporter Lee So-Hyun ] Naver Labs, the research and development division of Naver (NAVER(035420)), has recreated the exhibition spaces and key collections of the Gansong Art Museum in virtual reality (VR). This allows visitors to explore the Gansong Art Museum—which was previously only accessible during its regular spring and fall exhibitions—without any time or location restrictions, and it preserves cultural heritage items that are no longer physically housed at the museum within the digital space.

Naver Labs and the Gansong Art and Culture Foundation announced on the 11th that they are offering the “Gansong Museum VR Tour” service, which allows users to view the museum’s exhibition spaces and key collections via VR anytime, anywhere.

The Gansong Art Museum VR Tour was developed based on digital twins of the exhibition spaces and the works featured in the “Culture for the Nation” exhibition, created by Naver Labs. Users can explore the space by following the same viewing route as if they were visiting “Bohwagak,” the actual exhibition hall at the Gansong Art Museum, and select specific exhibits to view detailed descriptions.

The VR tour is available on the Gansong Art and Culture Foundation website via PC and mobile devices.

The Gansong Art Museum, located in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, is Korea’s first private art museum and has long been dedicated to collecting and researching exhibits to preserve Korea’s cultural heritage. While visits were previously limited mainly to the spring and fall regular exhibition periods, this VR tour now allows anyone to view key exhibits anytime and anywhere.

Chinese-donated artifacts also preserved digitally

This VR tour also allows visitors to view artifacts that are no longer physically present at the Gansong Art Museum.

Notably, the “Qing Dynasty Stone Lion Statue,” which long guarded the main entrance of the Gansong Art Museum before being donated to China last July, has been recreated as digital data. Artifacts such as the “Gwesan Octagonal Hall-Style Stupa” and the “Stone Octagonal Monk’s Stupa,” which were previously difficult to access due to their location outdoors, can now be viewed more easily through the VR tour.

Naver Labs explained that by utilizing spatial intelligence technology, they have created an environment where cultural heritage can be preserved in a digital space and continuously appreciated, regardless of its actual physical location.

Naver Labs’ digital twin technology was applied in the production of this VR content. Naver Labs used its proprietary vision technology to construct digital twins of the Gansong Art Museum’s spaces and exhibits.

A key feature is that 3D mapping is possible using only a smartphone camera, without the need for specialized equipment such as ultra-high-precision scanners. Since various spaces and objects can be converted into digital data relatively easily, this technology has the potential to expand beyond cultural heritage into fields such as exhibitions, tourism, and education.

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Applied to the National Museum of Korea and Cheomseongdae

Naver Labs has been using spatial intelligence technologies—such as mapping, digital twins, and indoor positioning—to transform spaces and objects of high cultural value into augmented reality (AR) and VR content.

A prime example is the AR navigation service that has been in operation at the National Museum of Korea since 2022. The technology was also utilized in Naver Maps’ “Flying View 3D” service, which allows users to explore 360-degree, three-dimensional views of historical landmarks such as Cheomseongdae in Gyeongju.

“Flying View 3D” incorporates Novel View Synthesis (NVS) technology, which reconstructs 3D scenes from viewpoints not captured by a few photographs. This technology was also used in the large-scale urban explosion scene in the Disney+ series “North Star.”

Entries to the Gansong Art Museum Photography Contest, which runs through the 23rd, will also be featured in the VR tour. The plan is to provide visitors with an experience where they can view their own photos as if they were artworks in the museum.

Lee Dong-hwan, Leader of the Vision Group at Naver Labs, stated, “Following the National Museum of Korea, it is highly significant that we have brought the Gansong Art Museum’s precious cultural heritage into the digital space using Naver Labs’ spatial intelligence technology, enabling anyone to appreciate it without restrictions of time or place.”

He added, “We will continue to advance spatial intelligence technologies—such as digital twins, localization, and 3D reconstruction—to digitally connect real-world spaces and objects and create new cultural experiences.”