NFTs and Museums: The Latest Short-Lived Trend?

Stefano Monti argues that museums' engagement with NFTs is the latest in a series of superficial, ideologically-driven adoptions of innovation, following patterns seen with audience development, gamification, and storytelling. He criticizes the cultural sector for embracing buzzwords without implementing foundational digital infrastructure. Monti notes that before discussing NFTs, museums should adopt basic technologies like online ticketing, CRM systems, Wi-Fi throughout galleries, heat maps of visitor flow, high-resolution digital images, and mixed-reality tours. He compares museums discussing NFTs to an old man greeting kids with slang, highlighting a lack of self-awareness. The article references Google Trends data showing audience development interest peaked and declined. Monti points out that while museums lag, others are buying virtual land certificates and hosting personal exhibitions in virtual spaces. He calls for museums to understand their role and bridge the gap between NFT hype and the inability to book tickets via PayPal.