What would a painting by a celebrated artist smell, sound or taste like? For too long, museums were strictly ‘look and don’t touch’, but curators are now putting visitors’ senses and emotions at the heart of their exhibitions – all while providing a slick backdrop for an Instagram update.

After a decade of declining visitor numbers, the UK’s cultural institutions are turning things around by scrapping the conventional ‘look-don’t-touch’ mantra and making use of experiential tech. The British Museum has done just that with its first VR weekend to promote its Bronze Age exhibit.

Did you enjoy geography in school? Can you remember how erosion works or how volcanoes were formed? An app that merges textbook with gameplay and text-based learning with UX simulation has been designed with an aim to change the way children learn about Earth.

It’s easy to think that museums aren't relevant, but the success of the David Bowie exhibition at the V&A and the Matisse Cutouts show at the Tate Modern says otherwise. How is the museum evolving to meet the needs of people more interested in their smartphones than ancient artefacts?