10 Digital Strategies Museums Adopted During COVID-19 Lockdown
Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, museums and galleries transitioned to online platforms to connect with their audiences. This included virtual exhibitions through Google Arts & Culture, featuring events like the Raphael showcase in Rome and the Van Eyck display in Ghent. Daily posts on Instagram showcased archival photographs, while YouTube experienced a surge in virtual tours, particularly at Museo Egizio and Museo Nazionale Etrusco. Noteworthy guided tours included Christian Greco's at Museo Egizio and the Warhol tour at Tate Modern. Institutions such as MAXXI and PAC Milan transformed their educational offerings online. Additionally, museums introduced TV and radio channels, like Centro Pecci's WebTv and GAMeC's Radio-GAMeC. The article raises questions about the lasting impact of these digital efforts in museum programming.
Key facts
- Museums moved exhibitions online using Google Arts & Culture and social media.
- Raphael show at Scuderie del Quirinale and Van Eyck at Museum of Fine Arts Ghent were made accessible online.
- Instagram was used for daily content sharing of collections and archives.
- YouTube channels were launched or expanded for virtual tours.
- Guided tours by directors like Christian Greco at Museo Egizio and curators at Tate Modern and Bruges museums.
- Educational activities were adapted for online by MAXXI and PAC Milan.
- Museums launched TV and radio channels: Centro Pecci WebTv, Radio-GAMeC, Radio Triennale.
- Spotify playlists were curated by Pirelli HangarBicocca, CAMERA Torino, Club to Club, Magazzino Italian Art.
- Virtual studio visits via #IORESTOASTUDIO (Pastificio Cerere) and Homemade (Magazzino New York).
- Live social media streams like Artribune's '10 alle 10' series.
- Galleries created virtual spaces: Massimo De Carlo Virtual Space, Oliver Miro app, Lisson Gallery app, The Flat 3D tours.
- David Zwirner shared online platform with emerging galleries; Gagosian launched virtual format; Massimo De Carlo to share Virtual Space with five Milanese spaces.
Entities
Artists
- Raffaello
- Van Eyck
- Andy Warhol
- Cerith Wyn Evans
Institutions
- Scuderie del Quirinale
- Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent
- National Gallery of Art, Washington
- Museo Egizio, Turin
- Museo Nazionale Etrusco, Rome
- Tate Modern, London
- Musei di Bruges
- MAXXI
- PAC Milan
- Centro Pecci, Prato
- GAMeC, Bergamo
- Triennale Milano
- Pirelli HangarBicocca
- CAMERA Torino
- Club to Club
- Magazzino Italian Art, New York
- Fondazione Pastificio Cerere
- Massimo De Carlo
- Oliver Miro
- Lisson Gallery
- The Flat – Massimo Carasi
- David Zwirner
- Gagosian
- Artribune
- Google Arts & Culture
- Radio Raheem
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Ghent
- Belgium
- Washington, D.C.
- United States
- Turin
- Prato
- Bergamo
- Milan
- New York
- Tokyo
- Japan
- London
- United Kingdom
- Bruges