MIBACT Launches ArT you ready? Instagram Flashmob During Italian Lockdown

On March 29, 2020, the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism (MIBACT) organized a digital flashmob on Instagram called ArT you ready?. The event invited Italian Instagram users, influencers, professional and amateur photographers, and visitors of all ages to share photos taken inside museums, archaeological parks, libraries, and archives across Italy, preferably without people. Using the hashtags #artyouready and #emptymuseum, participants were asked to dig into their galleries, old albums, or rephotograph prints from home. The initiative built on MIBACT's earlier #iorestoacasa social media campaign, which encouraged cultural institutions to share online content during the lockdown. The flashmob aimed to fill the internet with images of empty cultural spaces, a stark contrast to the usual crowded venues, reflecting the surreal reality of deserted public squares and streets worldwide. The event underscored the universal imperative to stay home as the only measure to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.