BMK Smart Display Case Solutions for the LNMA Exhibition “Tiny and Beautiful”
When exhibits measure only a few centimetres, revealing their stories requires not only a carefully curated museum narrative, but also technological solutions that allow visitors to see details that often remain invisible to the naked eye. For the Lithuanian National Museum of Art exhibition “Tiny and Beautiful: The Smallest Works in the Lithuanian National Museum of Art Collections”, BMK implemented smart display case solutions that enhance the presentation of small-format exhibits through 360° and 3D imagery, creating an interactive visitor experience.
Presented in the chapel of the Palanga Amber Museum, the exhibition invites visitors to pause and take a closer look at exhibits that often receive less attention in larger exhibitions. Coins, medals, seals, historic jewellery, amber objects, and other small-scale works are presented using smart display cases that connect the physical exhibits with digital content, visual material, texts, and audio narratives.
Tiny exhibits – big stories
The exhibition presents 26 objects created hundreds of years ago, reflecting different historical periods, craftsmanship, trade relations, the country’s political development, and personal stories. As the exhibition curator and LNMA Director General, Dr Arūnas Gelūnas, explained to LRT, the aim of the exhibition is to draw attention to the fascinating stories that even the smallest exhibits can hold.
The exhibits include a shilling dating from the reign of Casimir Vasa, historic jewellery, amber objects, a natural piece of amber, and a small 50-million-year-old pine cone discovered in an amber mine. Although modest in size, each object tells a broader story about its era, people, beliefs, trade, and cultural development.
The solution developed by BMK allows visitors to examine three-dimensional scans of the exhibits and explore their shapes and textures up close. It offers a level of access to the objects that would not normally be possible in a museum setting.
Smart display cases for exploring exhibits up close
The exhibition features seven smart display cases in which exhibits are presented both physically and digitally. On the screens, visitors can explore the same objects displayed inside the cases, view them in 360° and 3D, zoom in on details, and examine them from different angles.
This solution creates an additional layer of discovery: the authentic exhibit remains the centrepiece of the display, while the accompanying digital content enables visitors to experience it in greater detail. This is particularly valuable when presenting tiny or difficult-to-see exhibits. Visitors can view the original object inside the physical display case and use the screen to explore its shape, texture, and details in ways that would not normally be possible in a museum exhibition.
The solution implemented by BMK combines several elements of the visitor experience: the physical exhibition, an interactive screen, 360° and 3D object imagery, written content, visual material, and audio narratives. This system allows the museum to tell stories not only through the object displayed in the case, but also through the visitor’s own actions—selecting, zooming, rotating, exploring, and discovering at their own pace.
Technology that enhances the museum narrative
When presenting tiny exhibits, technology is not merely an additional effect, but a tool that helps reveal their value. Smart display cases make objects more visible, understandable, and memorable for a wide range of audiences, from children to adult visitors.
According to the exhibition curator, Dr Arūnas Gelūnas, physical exhibits and virtual experiences are becoming increasingly interconnected in today’s museums. In the exhibition “Tiny and Beautiful”, this principle is brought to life through interactive display cases that present historic objects from different eras in a contemporary and engaging way.
A solution for museums seeking to create engaging experiences
This type of technological solution can be adapted not only for tiny exhibits, but also for other museum objects that would benefit from additional context, closer examination of details, or greater visitor interaction. 360° and 3D object imagery, touchscreens, and interactive content help museums expand the possibilities of their exhibitions without altering the essence of the original objects.
BMK solutions enable cultural institutions to create a cohesive experience in which technology is not a separate element, but a natural part of the exhibition. Visitors become active explorers rather than passive observers, while museums can present their collections more clearly, attractively, and in a contemporary way.
BMK – technology for cultural experiences
“Tiny and Beautiful” is another cultural technology project implemented by BMK, demonstrating how contemporary solutions can help museums present the treasures in their collections in a more engaging and appealing way.
When developing solutions for museums and other cultural institutions, we aim to ensure that technology enhances cultural content, helps reveal its context, and creates a clear and contemporary experience of discovery for visitors.
The exhibition “Tiny and Beautiful: The Smallest Works in the Collections of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art” can be visited at the LNMA Palanga Amber Museum until mid-September.
Read more about the exhibition in the article on LRT.lt.
