SMK Copenhagen's Digital Strategy: Open Access and Community Engagement

Merete Sanderhoff, senior advisor at Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK) in Copenhagen, discusses the museum's digital development and the SMK Open initiative, which provides free, unrestricted access to the museum's digitized collection. She emphasizes that digital is not about technology but about attitude, enabling open dialogue, collaboration, and sharing. Sanderhoff highlights the importance of a solid digital infrastructure for efficient museum operations and social media engagement. SMK partners with external entities like 3D printing community Shapeways and image recognition startup Vizgu to create new experiences. The museum uses Google Analytics for metrics but is exploring the Europeana Impact Playbook for broader social and cultural impact assessment. Sanderhoff notes a digital divide globally and stresses the need for equal access to knowledge. She praises SMK's evolution from a conservative institution to a digitally open one over her eleven-year tenure. The interview was conducted by Maria Elena Colombo and published in Artribune Magazine #44.