Experience Art A Little Closer to Home

WHAT&rsquoS IN MY POCKET A well-worn lipstick, a set of keys and a museum. Thanks to the Google Arts & Culture app. Since 2011, the online platform has been giving users access to high-resolution artworks from all over the globe, requiring neither a flight ticket nor a museum entry fee. Only last month, they introduced a new augmented reality feature called Pocket Gallery that transforms your smartphone into a time-and-space-bending portal. In their virtual gallery are all 36 of Johannes Vermeer&rsquos surviving paintings. It&rsquos a stunning use of technology that lets us scan, pinch and expand our way into a digital museum. But the greater wonder is that, in reality, the Dutch artist&rsquos artworks are not actually in the same gallery, let alone the same country. They are spread across seven nations, owned by different galleries and private collectors, yet have come together on this platform for us. My only tip to you is to download the app, search for &lsquoMeet Vermeer&rsquo, and keep a millennial on standby in case of any hiccups.