Virtual exhibition formats in the promotion of Ukrainian visual art

The aim of this study was to analyse the evolution of forms of representation of Ukrainian visual art in the context of the integration of digital platforms and immersive technologies into museum practice. The study focused on identifying how VR, AR, WebXR, multimedia interfaces and 3D reconstructions have reshaped the communicative contours of the artistic space, influenced the user’s cognitive and emotional experience, and generated new models of audience interaction with artistic artefacts. The research methodology was based on a synthesis of cultural, comparative, structural-functional and historical-logical approaches, which enabled the reconstruction of multiplex connections between technological innovations, aesthetic transformations and ethical imperatives in the process of virtualising exhibition practices. This methodological focus made it possible to trace how digital environments shape cognitive and sensory models of perception of a work of art, as well as how they transform traditional schemes of interpretation and aesthetic evaluation. The study analysed the following Ukrainian projects: the virtual tour “Masterpieces of NAMU” by the National Art Museum of Ukraine, the 3D reconstruction of the exhibition “Kola Silvashi”, the VR project “War up close”, and the exhibition “Ukrainian portrait of the 17^th-20^th centuries” on the eMuseum.online platform. Furthermore, the functions of AR/VR platforms in shaping an interactive, adaptive user experience were detailed, the characteristics of emotional and cognitive interaction with the virtual environment were identified, and the legal and ethical challenges arising in the context of the digitisation of art objects were systematised. An analytical examination of contemporary virtual exhibitions has shown that digital technologies have become not only a representational tool, but also a catalyst for inclusivity, democratising access and ensuring the preservation of cultural memory. Virtual exhibitions have acquired the status of autonomous, self-sufficient cultural ecosystems, complementing physical museum infrastructure and ensuring uninterrupted access to content regardless of geographical, temporal and socio-economic constraints. The development of these formats has become crucial for generating new strategies in museum communication, has contributed to the international representation of Ukrainian art, and has laid the groundwork for improving ethical, technological and methodological standards in digital cultural heritage