Covid19 has accelerated digitalization, for which we believed we were not yet ready. Did we know how to treasure it? Or has the push towards the digital world marked the end of interest in physical works and therefore in exhibitions and museums?
Pandemic closures have devastated the income of museums everywhere. Some institutions may never recover. We need a quick turnaround.
This year marked also a surge in the digital activity: online exhibitions, digital tours, talks with curators and art experts, all what we are now used to.
Digitization has been essential to keep the exchange between institutions and communities alive. This opening up to technology, both on the part of institutions and users, has made it possible to explore another vision, breaking away from habits, entering a little known but intriguing dimension.
The pandemic has shown that an evolution of language and means, previously considered futuristic, is possible. It has been seen that new opportunities can be explored to create synergies between traditional art forms and new technologies.
The signs of recovery appear to be encouraging. There are many planned activities, exhibitions and events. Cultural institutions are betting on the desire to return to see art, artists and collections in person.
We will see if this is really the case. If the need to see a work of art in “flesh and blood” has returned. And if we managed to take advantage of digital channels to increase interest, to cultivate curiosity.
In many of the in-depth studies proposed online, reference was made to the results of the diagnostic investigations and to how much more knowledge of the works and artists they could bring. So why not make use of these insights also “on site”?
By now accustomed to learning more about each artwork, visitors may be disappointed by a tag with title and author alone. It is time for the studies made to be made available to everyone. We all can only benefit from it!
