NORDISK MUSEOLOGI 199 7 •2 , S. 29 - 42

THE FINNISH NATIONAL GALLERY'S INTERNET HOME PAGE IS INTO ITS THIRD YEAR

Eija Liukkonen and Mika Vayrynen

The Finnish National Gallery s Internet home page project was started by the National Gallerys museum pedagogical unit in early 1995. The completed home page launched September 26, 1995 under the address, http://www.fng.fi/. The projects ambitious point ofdeparture was to present a broad, multifaceted display ofthe Museums collecti­ ons. The aim was not only to impart information on current exhibitions and activities to different target groups but to truly function as a pedagogical tool for distance lear­ ning. The objective was to elicit genuine interest as well as to entice users to visit the Museum. Even occasional surfers can find themselves becoming regular museum-goers by virtue ofthe web.

The intention was to create a light, rapid something new and constructive which could be and user-friendly system which would incorporated into the Ministry of Education's ensure proper legibility and image retrie­ «Finnish Information Society» project. The original val regardless of the quality of online con­ intent was, in fact, to create a pedagogically orien­ nections or the software used. The triling­ ted system which would be both informative and ual home page format with Finnish, inviting - something which divulged information Swedish and English also represented a beforehand and could inspire users to undertake conscious choice. Making the information actual visits. Teachers were seen as one natural tar­ equally accessible to user groups outside get group.' Finland has become a priority: web-site The idea was to make the Finnish National browsers can be found anywhere from Gall ery home page both distinguished and visually Uruguay to New Zealand. striking. The task was thus seen as challenging for graphic designers. The work load di c;,~ l ted the need In the very beginning, the most important thing for three graphic designers, all of whom were to be was finding appropriate and enthusiastic partners. enlisted from the Department of Graphic Design at The Center for Scientific Computing (CSC) joined the University of Art and Design of Helsinki. our project on condition that we would embark on Departmental interest in the design work was so Netscap.e - [fhe Finnisfl National Gallel¥ home page) ~o flookmarks .Qptions Qirectory Wi.ndow .tlelp

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The Finnish NAT.IONAL GALLER'J

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Weloome t:o the iFinnisll. NiatiQnal Galle17M home pageJ ~ou can learn about the @alle.rn 's past and present, and also ~isjt the collections a11 it_s &ee specialist museums - the Museum, o~ oreign AA, SinebmchofF, the Musetun. on iFinnish k:t, .A:teneum, and tile lM:useumi of ~ontemporaey kt - r..vhich cover a per.iod o'f eighV cenfuri:es. Children can take them own special rroute-s tlw0ugh the Ateneum. 'IDhe page called 'News and Exhibitions tells y;ou morce wl\at is going on at the uari0u museums, atrth.e iAiteneum mill and at 'Fhe Ceritr-al AA: . Ji.;.r~hives at the moment. [f you are inter:e-sted in a partioulru; ru:tist or wovk, use the blue 'S eweh~ bu'ft'on.

Recommended uses Authors Contacts SUl\Vey ©~.:aJ),'Vri.ghts

strong rhat rhe students' work was donated to the the content. Funding had been sought from the project. Susanna Pettersson and myself (Marjatta Ministry of Education particularly for «the Finnish Levanto) from the museum pedagogical unit's of Information Society» project. This funding was to the Finnish National Gallery were responsible for cover the programmer's salary and the subsequent THE FINNISH NAT I ONA L GALLERY'S I N T ERNET H OME PAGE

co pyright fees. Negotiations were started with the the home page increased the total worklo­ 31 Visual Artisrs' Copyright Society Kuvasto concerning ad even though the lion's share of the tex­ copyright payments ro copyri ghrholders. tual material had already been translated T he Museum infact made history in the matter into Swedish and English when the pro­ of reimbursements by bei ng the first museum in the . ject began. The integration of the world to conclude an agreement with a Copyright Collection Management Database, VATI Society. T he actual workload came as a surprise, into the web project also constituted part howeve r. The co mmunity of artists outside the of the workload. Information that had Artists' Copyri ght Society turned out to be quite already been fed into VATI needed further large and each artist or other copyrightholder had checking, while artists and works needed to be contacted individually. A museum's existing to be reclassified and recoded specifically electronic database is also a cru cial factor influen­ for the purposes of the web project. The cing the system design process. In the case of the conversion of the Finnish language data­ Finnish National Gallery, the Collection Manage­ base to suit the needs of the Swedish and ment D arabase (VATI) served as the foundation for English language home pages was not wit­ the presentation of the various collections. (Marjatta hout its problems. Fortunately, the know­ Levanto, H ead of rhe Educational Department, the how needed to solve future problems and Finnish National Gallery). to apportion workloads is readily availa­ ble. For example, the staff of the Central The Finnish National Gallery's web pro­ Art Archives had experience in digital . . ject has neither been modelled on any­ image processing. thing else nor does it have any precedents. The graphic artists responsible for desig­ Instead, the impetus has been to create ning the home page layout were also faced something totally new. The few museum with a brand new challenge: home pages that already existed were brief introductory pages. No one had previous­ The sheer breadth of the material turned out to ly integrated museum collections into the pose the project's biggest problem; how could col­ Web environment in quite the same man­ lections and their histori es, the presentatio n of ner.2 The practical problem was how to works and artists, and museum guides hundreds of integrate the functions of three museums, pages long be adapted to the web environment. The four individual collections and seven dif­ objective was to create an open, user friendly and ferent units. visually distin ctive user interface for a diverse range The creation of a home page requires of interest groups from children to occasional net close cooperation between the different surfers, not to mention art researchers needing sci­ parties during the planning and execution entific accuracy. The graphic design of the Finnish stages. The project group worked practi­ National Gall ery home page is not intended to cally day and night during the weeks pre­ dive rt attention from the artworks themselves . The ceding the launching of the home page - visual language is not meant to have an expressive scanning photographs of works, transla­ power char could overshadow the works in che col­ ting texts, finding copyrightholders, pro­ lection. The intent is, rather, to serve the user and gramming, and feeding information into co support hi s/her mobility within a complex, the programs. The trilingual dimension of informationall y lo aded sys tem. At the same time, EIJA LIUKKONEN & MIKA VAYRYNEN

32

we would like to show chac graphic design wich a tions. The approach to the Sinebrychoff clear-cue informacional mandace can scill be fun, collection in the Museum of Foreign Art, youchful and full of playful experimencacion. is historical whereas the Ateneum collecti­ (Sampsa Voucilainen, Graphic Designer)-' on in the Museum of Finnish Art, is pre­ sented by way of different stylistic periods. The graphic layout for the home page was chosen for inclusion in the Youth Forum '96 exhibition . ~ DISCOVERIES______, .---~he Ateneum for childrerl CONTENT The web directory's textual database con­ tains all the written material from the various guides pertaining to Museum col­ lections. 5 These guides offer different approaches to getting to know the callee- Scene fi'om the Ateneum for Children THE FINNISH NATIONAL GALLERY'S INTERNET HOME PAGE

all) also has his/her own home page. 33 While the content of each home page varies according to the material available, the basic feature of every artist's home

Vork ~======~ page is a listing of the artist's works which Artist ISimberg, Hugol are represented in the Gallery's collecti­ . Start search I ons, including material specifications and Search f11nction dates. Additional materials of interest from the Central Art Archives such as lett­ The aim of the guide to the Museum of ers, photographs and sketches form additi­ Contemporary Art is, on the other hand, ons to the artists' home pages. The path to provide different tools and perspectives to an artist's home page can be found for approaching contemporary art as well both through guides and search tools. as for reflecting on the background ideas Textual databases and search functions which give rise to particular formal soluti­ aside, one may also browse with the help ons. There is a special Ateneum tour for of various menus: artists whose work is children" and experiments have been carri­ included in the collections of the Museum ed out on the Finnish language web pages of Foreign Art, Sinebrychoff, can be loca­ for the purpose of introducing a tour for ted on the basis of nationality; works deaf children conducted in sign language. 7 owned by the Museum of Finnish Art, In addition to navigation guides, diffe­ Ateneum, can be located through recourse rent routes and search functions were also to the artist's stylistic direction, and artists created for the web environment in order associated with the Museum of Con­ to facilitate browsing through each of the temporary Art can be found on the basis collections. The search function allows the of the decade in question. user to become acquainted with the entire The user can find out about current and range of around 20 000 artworks belong­ future museum activities through News ing to the Finnish National Gallery. This and Exhibitions pages. These contain function makes it possible to access the basic information about current exhibiti­ home page of an artwork or an artist via ons, Ateneum Hall and workshop pro­ either the name of the artist or the work. grammes, guided tours and other public Each gallery artist (some 2 800 artists in events and services. They even contain

Menw: From the nationality menu you ca11 go straight to the individual artists' home pages which tell you abo11t their works in the Natio11al Gallery collection. Artists can be selected by nationality EIJ A LIU KKONEN & MI KA V AY R YNEN

34 new library listings from the Central Art User comments and inquiries were recei­ Archives. The content of News and ved through the home pages every week. 13 Exhibitions pages is continuously upda­ The comments about the web pages have ted. 8 For example, the web entry concer­ mainly been positive. ning the 1996 Dialogues exhibition at the Some of the inquiries were concerned Museum of Contemporary Art included with research projects or academic assign­ not only exhibition-related information ments; interest was expressed in either the but two artworks9 designed to function entire web project or in individual matters within the web environment. A giftbook such as copyright. More specific inquiries campaign for promoting Museum publi­ are passed on to those members of staff cations was also brought on line through most capable of answering the query. The the creation of an interactive order form. home pages were supplemented with con­ tact information (including e-mail addres­ ATTENTION ses) for the entire staff of the National Gallery organization. It is vitally impor­ The project and the home pages were fea­ tant to respond to the feedback in one tured in numero~s Finnish magazines as way or another. Here is some of the feed­ well as on radio and TV programmes back: immediately following the press conferen­ ce. 10 Needless to say, the launching of a - I was amazed when l first came across yo ur page home page was a much higher profile as I was doing some research on Art institutions on event two years ago than it is nowadays. the net that might be linked to our (The European· An active marketing campaign was, of Union Working G roup for C ulrnre) page course, also needed to ensure that the (www.ust.hk/- eucult/). I have printed some of your information did not fall on deaf ears. The pages and forwarded them to my Finnish colleague Finnish National Gallery's Concordia so that we can have you li sted at our «co ol sites' 1196 bulletin gave a lot of coverage to the cultural tour through Europe». web pages. There were also numerous Since then, I have «visited » your Gall ery many postcard campaigns within the context of times myself. What can I tell you? The work you direct marketing. The active linking of the have done is o utstanding! It is indeed ra ther rare to pages to the museum field's web pages was find such quality in introductory texts on the net, also a priority. The pages have been pre­ texts that you read with pl easure - the guided tour sented in different venues in Finland and for children is just brilliant, th e idea of grouping abroad during the post-launching phase in the paintings around a theme (joy, solitude) is so an effort to reach different groups of meaningful. .. I wish we had more of that and not users. 11 only through the net. Many cultural workers from around the Thank yo u so much for giving me the opportuni­ world have res ponded favourably to both ty to learn about Finnish Art. I am now enj oying the content and the broad scope of the and looking at Hugo Sim berg's works. web pages. The project's breath was noted both in Finland and abroad. The subject - I am writing a report for the European Com unity was addressed in numerous publications. 12 on web production by galleri es and muse ums in THE FI NN IS H NATIO NAL GALLE RY 'S I NTERNET H OME PAGE

Europe as part of the EC funded MAGNETS museum-going public. It is moreover evi­ 35 Project. I was impressed by your site and would like dent that many web page users will not to use it as an example. Pl ease could you help me become actual museum-goers given geo­ by answering a few questions abo ut the process that graphical distances and other factors. the Finnish National Gallery used to produce and While some web browsers are no doubt maintain its web site. also museum-goers and representatives of Who was responsible for the initial Finnish affiliated groups, the new web constituen­ National Gallery web site production and how were cy with its particular target groups needs they chosen? Were they internal staff or was an to be seen as a challenge and a possibility. ex ternal webmaster brought in to do it? If internal It also represents a compelling research staff were/are used, was anyone hired to train them focus. in web production and graphics? Who is responsi­ The staff of the web project has been ble for the Gallery web site's maintainance, if it is carefully monitoring the use of the home not the same as the initial produce r? What software pages on a monthly and yearly basis since and hardware (products, tools, suppliers) were used the beginning. 14 Reports indicate a steady to produce the Finnish National Gallery site? What growth in use. Growth tripled from so ftware and hardware are used to maintain the January 1996 to December 1996. 15 1997 IMHS site? Do you have a in house web serve r, or figures point to a slightly more moderate do you rent web space from an internet provider? If growth in use. Comparisons of the use of yo u have an web se rver in house, what computer different language versions, and the locati­ pl atform and web server software do you use, and on of users' countries of origin provide what kind of connection do you have to the inter­ interesting information and feedback in net? If you rent web serve r space from an internet addition to that obtained from monito­ provider, who are they, what kind of deal do you ring numbers of users. In Autumn 1995, have with them? Are yo u happy with the Finnish international communications accounted National Gallery web site as it is? Why or why not? for some 20% of all feedback, while in What future plans do you have for the Finnish August 1996 they accounted for almost National Gallery web site, if any? 60% of all feedback. According to 1997 What advice would you offer to other European figures, approximately every second user museums or galleries who want to produce a web resides outside Finland. site? Please feel free to write about anything el se The home pages are used more on week­ about your web site production that you feel is days, with use peaking on Fridays and important. Tuesdays. The different web page sections Thanks in advance for answering my questions are consulted with approximately the same an d including any additional comments, your help frequency even though the Museum of is greatly appreciated. Finnish Art, Ateneum collections and navigation guides elicit the greatest level USERS ARE THE FOCUS of interest. In the case of the Finnish OF RESEARCH National Gallery's home pages, interest is predominantly directed towards Finnish Potential web page users clearly constitute art. The surfing is mainly done in English a user group who differ from the normal and Finnish, while only a small minority EIJA LIUKK ON EN & MIKA VAYRYN E N

36 of browsers use the Swedish version. CENTRAL EXPECTATIONS When investigating home page use, attention should naturally be focused on - I hope that they will retain their current breadth the most popular pages and pictures with­ of scope. It's not necessary to have a great diversity out undervaluing the significance of those of content since this can lead to the «phobia of pages which elude the browser or which plenty» so common in the net. The foundational are simply ignored for lack of interest. artworks and some information about the artists The user monitoring process should be just the way it is presented now is fin e. used as a tool for further development of - Speaking as a profess ional in the fie ld, I do like the web pages. In evaluating feedback and yo ur sparse style. use, it should be kept in mind that the - Is it really the case that whenever the munici­ nature of the medium precludes knowing pality or the State is on board as a player, the end precisely the reasons why a given user res ult is a bore, the pictorial treatment amateurish, might react in a certain way. User dissatis­ etc. faction with the web pages might just as - I was terribly disappointed when visiting your easily be due to maladjustments in his/her pages. Because they were so boring! computer or program deficiencies as to -Nowhere on this page could I find the city you the quality of the pages themselves. were located in! How is a potential tourist supposed Although information and research on to make plans when he/she doesn't know where you web use and its users is being made availa­ are loca ted? I would like to know your location. ble at an increasing pace, really knowing - Didn't know where I was at fi rst. No identify­ our own web constituency is vital to the ing name to all the pages. development of our project. Who, what, - Who are you again? to whom, why and how - such informa­ - I •:.ras waiting for fa ctual informatio n o n the tion must be at one's fingertips. Since the artists and pictures of their work. beginning of 1997, home-page users have - Diversity, ample content and high quality visu­ also been monitored with the help of a als (of which only the dive rsity was fully rea li sed) web-based survey form. 16 The Finnish - I am searching for the Ateneum's opening Internet constituency continues, on avera­ hours as well as the cost of admission. ge, to be young and male. According to - I didn't have any expectations. This di scovery the Internet user survey, the average age of ca me as a pleasant surprise. users is 30,5 years, of whom 85% are 17 men. According to the Museum's home DEGREE TO WHICH page user survey, 45% of users are women 18 EXPECTATIONS WERE and 5 5% of users are men. Average figu­ FULFILLED res for actual Museum visits in the web are: 70% women and 30% men. 19 The PARTIAL REPLY: medium accesses new potential that is pre­ - Your pages are reall y ex tensi ve; therefore yo u dominantly male and more international should devote special atcenci o n to the incernal hie­ in character. ra rchy of the pages. The following comments are based on -O pening hours should be visible. the user survey: 20 THE FINNISH NATIONAL GALLERY'S INTERNET HOM E PAGE

although srnce it might be easier to read about 37 Was a disappoint­ them in books it would be good to have the refe­ Exceeded my ment rence information on the books in which the artists expectations: 12% 24% Did not reply are featured. 7% ~~~ - Ordering books, namely a listing of available books. - I am wondering if I can get postcard, 30% poster/print or book with a copy of River Landscape by Salomon van Ruysdael that is in your Sinebrychoff Museum. If so, please tell me the cost DID NOT MEET MY EXPECTATIONS: and I will arrange payment by credit card or whate­ - Insufficient text. ver method you choose. Thanks for your help. I - Kiasma's pages look good; the layout of the really want a copy of this painting. other pages is old-fashioned. - The multifaceted character of the sections is OTHER COMMENTS OK. - The Search function works well, but informati­ - Good and sufficiently broad in scope. on on artists is sparse. It's good that one can become acquainted with Finnish art in this way and have an esthetic experi­ WHAT KINDS OF SERVICES ence. The net would be pretty dismal if this was not WOULD YOU LIKE possible. Thank you for the good work. - In being a first time browser of your web site, I - That you keep them as nice as they are now. was at ease going through various pages without - Whatever you do, do not turn it into a «candy being linked to pages I didn't want/need to go! store»; no animations, no additional background Very Easy to Follow! Thank You! colours or icons; let art speak for itself. - I'm very impressed by your efforts. The chil­ - Links to artists. Artist of the month presentati­ dren's section is just wonderful- the best! on. - The pages work well. Yet I would like to see it - More picture illustrations and more informati­ developed in a similar way to the Uffitzi Gallery on on artists. presentation in the net. - There is no way to contact you, except through - Great pages! Because of my personal interests, I this survey. You should have a list of your staff and would like to have had more information on con­ their e-mail addresses available in the home page. servation, yet it's fine even as it is . - There should be topical items that are fun. - Some of the best home pages in Finland. - Links with art museums in the world. The - I look for depth of information and possible SEARCH function needs further development: it paths to follow. was not clear to me where the artwork is physically - Examples of works by the various artists would to be found (in the Ateneum presumably??) bring me back to this page. - Links with other art museums. Opening hours; - Examples of works- it's doubtful I'll ever get to prices. Perhaps they too could have been found Finland and thus visit the musems there so I'd like somewhere, but now I didn't even look for them. to see some of the works by Finnish artists. - Perhaps the showcasing of individual artists, - On some of the pages, the text spreads out all EIJA LIUKKON EN & MIKA VAYRY N E N

38 over the image display when the display opens to (especially in the case of the Museum of the entire width of the screen. Contemporary Art) because the copyright -Is it possible to print from the computer in organizations in a number of countries colour a copy of Salomon van Ruysdael's have approached the practice of granting Riverscape. I tried, but just got black copy? ?? copyrights with caution (copyrights are - Have yet to spend a great amount of rime, but not granted everywhere) . Their arguments am looking for ways to purchase prints, and have against copyrighting revolve around the them shipped to the U .S.A. dangers posed by illegal use. Our experi­ ence has emphasised the importance of ORDINARY WORK clarifying the status of non-commercial image use in general. Both the content The web project has been an essential part and the number of images in the home of the Educational Department work from pages are a reflection of this situation. The the very beginning. At the same time, the pre-established budget for reimbursements project involves the entire Finnish Natio­ imposes constraints on image quantity. nal Gallery organization. The situation is naturally more clear-cut The search for copyrightholders, the in the case of works belonging to collecti­ making of contacts, the drafting and rene­ ons than in the case of contemporary wal of agreements, and reimbursements all exhibition works. An exhibition may continue to occupy the staff. The first include both collection and non-collecti­ visual copyright agreements were two-year on works from different artists and copy­ agreements and a new round of copyright rightholders whether Finnish or foreign. negotiations is coming up. The objective The exhibition web page is currently sub­ is, of course, to obtain longer periods of ject to conditions of agreement given the validity for the agreements as well as lower lack of consensus in copyright practice. payments. The concluding of agreements The problems have yet to be straightened with parties to an estate has been more out. difficult than originally anticipated. The Programme integration needs to be problem was that although copyrighthol­ continuously monitored given the heavy ders were easily located, the people con­ reliance on the VATI system and its opera­ cerned were distrustful and harboured a tional capability. Cooperation between the general lack of knowledge about the different Museum units is also essential Internet context. A segment of the artists' for this reason. The acquisition of a new community or of the copyrightholders work for the collection also means that were afraid of reproductions and of image the home pages need to be updated. manipulation. Some of the artists took a Although the number of artwork visuals firm negative stand concerning the use of (1200) cannot be significantly augmented images in the context of the Internet. The under the current copyright situation, execution of payments is also almost works by artists not bound by copyright are impossible because of tax regulations con­ continuously scanned by Museum staff. cerning parties to an estate, for example. The News and Exhibitions pages are Foreign artists are an additional problem created practically from scratch in the THE FINNI S H NATIONAL GALLERY' S INTERNET HOME P AGE

three languages twice a year. Smaller home with the latest programmes and 3-D 39 page updates are made on a weekly basis models, we are nevertheless busy prepa­ generally due to changes in programming. ring our second generation home pages. New image material is needed for both the The same graphic artists as before are on current events and exhibitions pages and board revamping the look of the home for the presentation of other events. pages. The renewed web pages will be made public early in 1998. RE-EVALUATION The aim of the remodelling is to impro­ ve the user friendliness of the pages. In Two years in the life of home pages is a fact, the information content is being re­ long time. The mere existence of the pages organized and re-categorized in order to is not enough: renewal is part of the very make navigation easier. User feedback nature of the medium. Re-organization confirmed the difficulty in finding basic and critical evaluation of content and information, as well as opening hours, materials is both necessary and natural addresses and admission fees. The reason even for the very medium itself. 22 The for this was that the page structure and received feedback and user survey only layout emphasized the collections at the serve to confirm the importance of effec­ expense of «here and now» information. ting thoroughgoing changes. The develop­ The web pages also made no allowance for ment of the medium has made the web the fact that a person browsing might pages look somewhat antiquated. Even «drop onto» to any page by using the though we're not about to experiment search engines, thus the very possibility of

Funtionalism:

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Ic Very poor c Poor c Average Cil Good • Very Good Your personal eval11atio 11 ofour home pages:11 EIJA LIUKKO NEN & MIKA ViiYRYNEN

40 understanding the overall character of the The restncttons imposed at the beginni­ pages and the museum context is simply ning of the project have actually been sub­ not relevant. ject to re-evaluation. If the aim is to Not only has the graphic look of the expand the content, this will tie up even pages undergone a face-lift but the con­ more resources and will demand a more tent itself is now broader than before. The extensive commitment to the upkeep of Central Art Archive has brought its own the web pages. The ideal situation would resources to the project while contact be one where the producer of the original information about the staff and units of information (a unit or its staff member) the Finnish National Gallery will now be would be solely responsible for updating made available. User feedback expressed and maintaining their pages. Hence the the desire for links to other pages in the project would also grow vertically within museum field as well as for the convenien­ the organization and could function natu­ ce of being able to order various publica­ rally as an in-house system. More attenti­ tions directly through the web pages. on should also be paid to the life span of Launching the Museum of Contemporary the pages. Given our current resources, it Art's home pages in spring 1997 under is not really very intelligent to compete the address http://www.kiasma.fng.fi/ also against the clock to update one or two led to changes in the pages of the Finnish weeks worth of exhibition programming. National Gallery. It is essential that both Instead, it would be more productive to organizations combine their forces in the channel resources into information packa­ best possible manner. Language policy is a ges that are more timeless and that have a problem, however, as Kiasma's pages longer web life. appear only in Finnish and English. WILL THE EVERYDAY BACK TO THE POINT MUSEUM WORK CHANGE? OF DEPARTURE? Practice has shown how important it is The goals set at the start of the project that the Museum staff watch over the have been realized. The pages were home pages. To give the job of updating launched and the updating took place on and maintaining the home pages to outsi­ time. The nature of the project has never­ de organizations has been found to be a theless changed over time. As outside inte­ poor and costly solution not only in rest in the home pages and their services Finland but elsewhere as well. 23 Server grew, in-house staff also began to use maintenance and home-page updating them. News and Exhibitions pages have require special skills making in-house expanded and the workload has grown. competence in data communications, pro­ The web project requires a long-term gramming and related areas indispensable maintenance and development plan as for the existence of the web pages. New well as a formal commitment. Without job functions have come to stay in the this there is a danger that the project will museum world. spin out of control and end up in chaos. The Internet has brought speed and TH E FI NN I S H N AT I ONA L G A LL E R Y ' S INT E R NET H O M E PA GE

convenience to everyday tasks - it has be- speed up the Museum's in-house informa- 41 come both a communications tool and an tion transmission. operational environment. For example, FINALLY the news concerning the public announce­ ment in spring 1997 about a notable art­ Three years m the web is a long time. work discovery (even by international Competition is hard in the network and standards) was immediately communica­ changes need to be taken as challenges. ted to the world on-line.24 Communi­ The older home pages already have some cation has increased and has become more historical value and the ones with the immediate. It is easy to direct people to most multifaceted content will win out in the home pages and have them check their the end. Cooperation between museums information no matter where in the world which are getting into the web is essential. they might be located. Museum workers This cooperation should extend from are also easier to reach- e-mail makes information management and system plan­ direct inquiries possible. A certain readi­ ning all the way to copyright practices. ness to return communications and to sift out superfluous messages is nevertheless required of the staff. Special thanks: The setting up of the World Wide Web M arj atra Levanto, Head of the Educational has imposed on official bodies a challeng­ Department Tuula H amalainen, Attorney Juha ing forum of communication and public lnkari, Data Administration Planner service into which museums are also obli­ Translation: Kaj Oka ged to integrate themselves. After an initi­ al period of enthusiasm, the original web page presentations have gradually been NOTES eclipsed by the more in-depth presentati­ ons and customized services increasingly 1. Research in progress on the subject: University of offered by different museums. Museums Art and Design of Helsinki. Anne-Maija are going virtual. We can, perhaps with Issakainen. A visual art muse um's prospects for good reason, say that the web is here to th e teaching of visual arc exa mined. Information stay and that it will keep on growing for it networks as channels for art. has already achieved a firm place in 2. The breadth is indicated by the approximately Finnish society. The virtual museum has 4 000 pages per language and the 1 200 visuals of become one of the functional modalities artworks. of the contemporary museum. Infor­ 3. Other graphic des igners who worked on the pro­ mation planning functions for the web ject are Mari Pietarinen and Antti Raudaskoski. have, in fact, been established in different 4. Des ign Forum, January 23-February 25 , 1996. museums.25 In-house know-how is neces­ 5. Susa nna Pettersson. The Finnish N ational sary since this type of planning requires Gallery, 1992. proper comprehension and mastery of the Marj atta Levanto. Ateneum Guide, 1987. essential content. The internal intranet Marjatta Levanto. Discoveries, Ateneum for network will also serve to develop and C hildren. EI J A LI UKKONEN & MIKA VAYRY NEN

42 Heikki Mal me. T he Coll ecrion of Prinrs and 16. Connected with the Finnish National Gall ery's Drawings. research project on muse um-goers. Aune Jaaskinen. Icons. 17. Interner User Survey 1997. Ri ssanen&Jarvinen Marja Supinen. Swedish porrrairs, miniatures, Oy. the Barbizon school. 18. Web page user survey report 13.8.1 997. Kai Kanio. The Art Coll ection Donated by Paul Finnish National Gallery. and Fanny Sinebrychoff. Paintings of the 19. Comparison 1996. Museum visitor survey Sinebrychoff Coll ection. report. Finnish National Gall ery. Raimo Fagerstrom. Sil ver collection. 20. Web page use r survey reporr 13.8. 1997. The Sinebrychoff Coll ecti o n, Muse um of Fi nnish National Gallery. Foreign Art, Sinebrychoff, 1993. 2 1. Ibid. Kaija Kaitavuori. Guide to the Museum of 22. Muse ums and rh e Web: An Intern ational Contemporary Art, 1993. Conference 16-19.3. 1997. Los Angeles, 6. Discoveries, the Ateneum for C hildren. Cali fo rnia. 7. The demo-product is part of Antti Raikke's final 23. Ibid. project for the U niversiry of Art and Design of 24. Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo's (1727- 1804) H elsinki entitled, «Dispersed Hypermedia for painting «The Greeks Enter Troy». Information Retrieval by the Deaf». 25. For example Information Planner, Media Art 8. Based on Concordia Bulletin. C urator, Information Systems Planner, 9. Jan Erik Andersso n's Puhdas/Ren/Clean which Information Administration Planner (F innish belongs to the Muse um of Contemporary Art's National Gallery). coll ecti ons, and Minna Heikinaho's Push Firma Beige. I 0. Verkossa programme week 4 and week 43. Coo rdinator Eija Liukkonen works for the Finnish Tietoverkko 3/96. National Galle1y s Educational Department and is Information World Revi ew, October 1996. Radio respomible for the Web Project tts well tts survey Mafia week 51 . research on the mweum clientele. 11. For example: «Europe in Us» seminar, Adr. Brunmgtttan 2, FIN-00100 H elsingfors Museoliitto, 14.2. 1996, Nordic Museum Fair, Fax +358-17336248 Gothenburg, 28-30.3. 19 96, Museum e-mail [email protected] Technology course, University of Helsinki, 10.4. 1996, Ammatti-instituutti 15.5. 1996, Project researcher Mika ViiJlynen wor!ts for the Educa Fair, H elsinki, 28-30.11.1996. Finnish National Galle1ys Educational Department 12. ie. Programme week 4/96 and week 43/96, and is responsible for Atene11111 H all programming and «Tietoverkko»3/96, In fo rm ation World Review, the Web Project. October 1996. Adr. Bru11nsgat1111 2, FIN-00100 Helsingfors 13 . [email protected] , Feedback and Visitor Fax +358-17336248 Survey pages. e-mail 111ikt1. Vtl)'l)'[email protected] 14. Programmes: WWWusage v0.99 and analog l.92beta l/Unix. 15. Www.fng.fi 1996 reporr. Finnish National Gall ery.