Swiss museums to reopen May 11 with Fondation Beyeler as model

Switzerland will reopen its museums, libraries, and archives on May 11, 2020, a week earlier than Italy's scheduled May 18 reopening. The Swiss Federal Council decided on April 29 that social distancing and hygiene rules can be easily implemented in these venues. The Fondation Beyeler in Riehen has developed a comprehensive protection plan that could serve as a model for Italian museums. Measures include limiting visitor numbers via online tickets with fixed time slots, modifying circulation flow with separate entry and exit points, setting up a new welcome area and cloakroom in annex buildings, providing hand sanitizers in key spaces, and implementing extraordinary cleaning and sanitation. All collateral events are canceled until further notice, and guided tours will be held in reduced form outside opening hours. The museum will reopen daily on May 11, allowing visitors to see the Edward Hopper exhibition, extended to July 26 thanks to the Whitney Museum of American Art and other American lenders. Director Sam Keller expressed joy at awakening the museum from its 'Sleeping Beauty' slumber, stating that experiences with art and nature contribute essentially to mental and physical health and quality of life.