Let’s fancy ourselves in front of a big, towering building.
But not any building. A museum. What does it evoke in your mind? Probably a series of rooms and corridors filled with artworks of all sorts and from all times, a place, maybe slightly boring, where we witness the beauty of art, a place from which we emerge with sore feet and a sleepy head. Well, that’s about right. The aim of a museum nowadays is to keep track of the history of humankind because art is one of our main and primary modes of expression. Going back to the origins of the word, “museum” comes from ancient Greek “museion” which designated the place where the Muses seated. It was a place of contemplation. It still is. The most popular museums in the world attract millions of visitors per year. They are the space where pieces of culture are shared with the largest number of people. A source of pride for the countries hosting them. As such, the goal of the museum’s workers is to create the most welcoming atmosphere.
However, these kinds of institutions are often perceived as devoted to a certain highly educated social group when culture should, in fact, be within everyone’s reach. Being an art history student myself, I can spend hours in a museum without looking at my watch even once. But I’m also the first to say that I enjoy it much better when I’ve studied what is exposed (or at least have some notions about it). Isn’t it satisfying when you can brag about this statue over there or this pottery right here? Sadly, art history is barely taught in school, which means that museums cannot expect their visitors to be such experts. How can neophytes appreciate those long hallways then?
Art takes an important part in our culture. Learning about it is discovering how humans’ way of thinking and looking at the world has evolved through the centuries. Yet, there has been a decrease in museum’s attendance for several years. For the past few decades, improvements have, therefore, been made in communication and museography areas. That is to say, concerning the latter, all the details regarding the setting up of an exhibition. The aim is for everybody to feel comfortable while evolving through the artworks and, more importantly, to find something in it. To do that, it’s essential to know what the public wants. More and more museums propose satisfaction surveys asking what the public appreciated in their visit, if it was well organised, well documented or, on the contrary, if it was too much. There are now people dedicated to the study of these surveys to ensure better interaction between art pieces and visitors. If the traditional presentation of permanent collections still attracts the public, it’s however not enough to retain people and they seldom pay more than one visit per museum. That’s why a lot of events are planned within those ancestral institutions such as temporary exhibits for which pieces from diverse countries are gathered in one place to serve a chosen thematic. These exhibitions offer the possibility to break the habits of the visitors and complete the usual display. That’s only a start though!
However, these kinds of institutions are often perceived as devoted to a certain highly educated social group when culture should, in fact, be within everyone’s reach. Being an art history student myself, I can spend hours in a museum without looking at my watch even once. But I’m also the first to say that I enjoy it much better when I’ve studied what is exposed (or at least have some notions about it). Isn’t it satisfying when you can brag about this statue over there or this pottery right here? Sadly, art history is barely taught in school, which means that museums cannot expect their visitors to be such experts. How can neophytes appreciate those long hallways then?
Art takes an important part in our culture. Learning about it is discovering how humans’ way of thinking and looking at the world has evolved through the centuries. Yet, there has been a decrease in museum’s attendance for several years. For the past few decades, improvements have, therefore, been made in communication and museography areas. That is to say, concerning the latter, all the details regarding the setting up of an exhibition. The aim is for everybody to feel comfortable while evolving through the artworks and, more importantly, to find something in it. To do that, it’s essential to know what the public wants. More and more museums propose satisfaction surveys asking what the public appreciated in their visit, if it was well organised, well documented or, on the contrary, if it was too much. There are now people dedicated to the study of these surveys to ensure better interaction between art pieces and visitors. If the traditional presentation of permanent collections still attracts the public, it’s however not enough to retain people and they seldom pay more than one visit per museum. That’s why a lot of events are planned within those ancestral institutions such as temporary exhibits for which pieces from diverse countries are gathered in one place to serve a chosen thematic. These exhibitions offer the possibility to break the habits of the visitors and complete the usual display. That’s only a start though!
It’s all about generating curiosity. It begins little. I mean, literally. Who is little and filled with curiosity if not children? Indeed, for the last few years, museums have decided to turn to this category of the population that is often forgotten by the cultural world. It’s well known that children have a learning capacity that is more developed than grown-ups. They tend to absorb what attracts their interest. That’s why more and more foundations imagine circuits adapted to younger ones with games such as treasure hunts or enigmas. Generally, the child also gets a booklet to keep as a souvenir. The goal is to make sure that when children exit, they have learned something and didn’t get bored during their visit. The playful interaction lived by the child will leave a stronger impression on them. And now that our little ones are convinced, it is about time to propose new experiences to the older ones.
Guess what? Solutions have been found while you were wondering whether it was a good idea to go see the Mona Lisa or not. With technological advancements, cultural foundations are able to build interactive and even immersive experiences in order to directly connect people with art. Who wouldn’t like to walk into a painting? Farewell dusty frames behind barriers! Welcome to a new world where you are part of the picture. A lot of museums focused on contemporary art propose immersive experiences during which you can interact with the artworks, see them move or walk through them. That’s a whole new way of enjoying art. In France, a foundation called L’Atelier des Lumières has made it possible to walk, for instance, through a Van Gogh’s or a Dali’s. Without owning any material works, it uses the images of paintings or photographs which are projected on the walls and floors, animated and accompanied with music to create a place of wonder. By diversifying the ways of meeting with art, museums have understood how to draw the interest of a new public without losing the more traditional one.
Besides, in order to keep in contact with you even when you’re not visiting, most museums around the world have developed their social media. By following them on Instagram or Facebook, we can regularly receive publications presenting a piece of the collection or updates concerning the life of the museum (new settings, new acquisitions, new exhibits…). On the Louvre’s Instagram account, regular posts present artworks with high-quality pictures showing both the work in its whole and close details to guide your eyes to the meaningful parts. Joined to the pictures is a short description telling the story of the art piece of the day in the form of “good to know” points. This simple communication creates an acquaintance with different fields of art history and brings artistic knowledge into our daily life. This might be a good way to prepare for your next visit! A similar strategy resides in the launching of phone apps by big institutions. It’s free and you get educational content through short summaries about a work of art, virtual tours of some rooms, fun facts, etc. We can say that the institutional world of museums is taking the turn of the 21st century pretty well. Work is still necessary but it’s definitely on its way.
I’m thus happy to say that museums are not dead yet. The journey has just begun! These places of contemplation are still worth the detour. They hold in their rooms the very definition of beauty that human beings have bothered to produce for millennia.
So imagine a big, towering building. Got it? Very well. Now that you know what treasures are hidden inside, open the door and feel welcome.
Besides, in order to keep in contact with you even when you’re not visiting, most museums around the world have developed their social media. By following them on Instagram or Facebook, we can regularly receive publications presenting a piece of the collection or updates concerning the life of the museum (new settings, new acquisitions, new exhibits…). On the Louvre’s Instagram account, regular posts present artworks with high-quality pictures showing both the work in its whole and close details to guide your eyes to the meaningful parts. Joined to the pictures is a short description telling the story of the art piece of the day in the form of “good to know” points. This simple communication creates an acquaintance with different fields of art history and brings artistic knowledge into our daily life. This might be a good way to prepare for your next visit! A similar strategy resides in the launching of phone apps by big institutions. It’s free and you get educational content through short summaries about a work of art, virtual tours of some rooms, fun facts, etc. We can say that the institutional world of museums is taking the turn of the 21st century pretty well. Work is still necessary but it’s definitely on its way.
I’m thus happy to say that museums are not dead yet. The journey has just begun! These places of contemplation are still worth the detour. They hold in their rooms the very definition of beauty that human beings have bothered to produce for millennia.
So imagine a big, towering building. Got it? Very well. Now that you know what treasures are hidden inside, open the door and feel welcome.