Beyond Reality: Exploring User Experiences in the Metaverse Art Exhibition Platform from an Integrated Perspective

With the rise of the metaverse, digital transformation is profoundly affecting the field of art exhibitions. Museums and galleries are actively adopting metaverse technologies to present artworks through virtual platforms, providing audiences with novel opportunities for immersive engagement and art experiences and shaping high-quality user experiences. However, the factors influencing user engagement in the metaverse art exhibition platform (MeAEP) remain unclear in the current research. This research combines the information systems success model (ISSM) and the hedonic motivation system adoption model (HMSAM) to construct a theoretical model that provides insights into the factors influencing MeAEP users’ intention to engage and their immersion behavior, with a focus on the sustainability of the art exhibition. We quantitatively analyzed 370 users that experienced MeAEP and analyzed the data and measurement model using SPSS 27 and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results showed that information quality (IQ), system quality (SQ), and perceived ease of use (PEOU) significantly and positively influenced perceived usefulness (PU), curiosity (CUR), joy (JOY), and control (CON). PU, JOY, and CON have a positive and significant effect on Immersion (IM). Finally, PU, CUR, JOY, and CON had a positive effect on behavioral intention (BI). In conclusion, only one of the twenty hypotheses was not supported. The research findings not only enrich the academic and managerial theories related to the metaverse and art exhibition platforms, but also provide practical insights for administrators, developers, and MeAEP designers to create higher-quality and more immersive art content, as well as provide constructive ideas for the sustainability of art exhibitions to further enhance user experience.