Virtual museums and the transformation of cultural experience: between preservation, mediation, and interpretation

The relevance of the study. The article addresses the growing need for a profound understanding of digital transformation within museum practices, particularly the shift toward virtual exhibitions. As digital curation becomes increasingly significant in the context of cultural heritage and audience engagement, this research explores how these technologies reshape the interpretive and experiential dimensions of museums. The purpose of the study is to investigate how virtual museums reshape cultural experience through the interconnected processes of preservation, mediation, and interpretation. The methodology. A qualitative methodology was applied, combining discourse analysis of curatorial texts, comparative case studies of recent digital projects, and critical evaluation of theoretical literature. The selection of twelve representative sources was guided by their contribution to contemporary museum studies discourse, with particular focus on visitor participation, interpretation, and visual culture. The results. The research finds that virtual museums not only extend physical accessibility but also introduce new challenges related to interactivity, representation, and narrative authority. Curatorial decisions in digital spaces increasingly involve ethical considerations and technological affordances, shaping how cultural content is framed and consumed. The scientific novelty. This study contributes to the field by synthesizing recent international research and proposing an integrated analytical framework for evaluating digital exhibitions. It identifies a gap in existing literature regarding the cultural and epistemological implications of digital curatorship. The practical significance. The findings are relevant for museum professionals, curators, and designers of virtual exhibitions. They offer insights into best practices for enhancing user engagement and interpretive clarity in digital heritage environments. Conclusions: virtual exhibitions represent a dynamic and evolving form of museum communication that requires interdisciplinary collaboration and continuous methodological innovation. Future research should expand into non-Western contexts and further develop participatory and inclusive curatorial strategies in digital settings.