Hyperconnection and distraction challenge museums and art exhibitions. The 33rd Bienal proposes an educational project based on experience and attention
Audio of the Ouvir Imagens column — Rádio USP
The theme of this year’s Museum Day, a global event organized by ICOM (International Council of Museums), was Hyperconnected Museums: New Approaches, New Publics. It reflects the impact of digital media and the Internet on museums, both in their internal organization and in how they relate to their audiences and vice versa. I spoke about this at CCBB, in JA.CA – Arte e Tecnologia’s Criticism and Curatorship Laboratory, and in my Ouvir Imagens column on Rádio USP.
In Reinventing the Museum, Gail Anderson notes that museums have changed considerably over the last thirty years. They have acquired a new profile, ceasing to be “ivory towers” and national icons to specialize in themes, embrace multiculturalism, prioritize public programs, adopt shared decision-making systems, favor more open forms of communication, and encourage visitors’ dialogue with the institution. All of this has been amplified by the spread of digital media.
However… The spread of digital media has also brought new problems, particularly to the dynamics of exhibition spaces. The ever more intensive use of mobile phones has turned some exhibitions, especially blockbusters, into veritable selfie spots. Taking selfies at exhibitions is not itself a problem. The problem is completely emptying the experience, replacing contact with the work with the mere recording of a self-portrait and the use of promotional hashtags.
A study by Loic Tallon, who heads digital media at New York’s Metropolitan Museum, showed that digital media departments in most U.S. museums report to marketing and communications departments. In only one, the Art Institute of Chicago, was this department connected to the curatorial leadership. It would be interesting to survey Brazil to find out how many museums have dedicated digital media areas and which museum departments they belong to.
Based on this Metropolitan study, the distance between digital media departments, curators, and education teams may explain this distracting use, so poorly aligned with exhibitions.
In this context, the educational project of the 33rd Bienal, taking place this year from September onward, becomes particularly relevant. Designed as a comprehensive system that can function not just for this edition of the event but as a public education project, it has the suggestive name Convite à Atenção. It is based on a publication already available for download online, with exercises that prioritize experiencing the artworks, collective encounters, and sharing ideas.
The publication consists of a set of cards that make up the exercises. Since reading and silence are intrinsic to this invitation by educators Lilian L’Abbate Kelian and Helena Freire Weffort, responsible for the project alongside the Bienal’s education team, I will not reveal the steps here. But there is one thing I cannot help saying. To enter the process, you need to put your phone in airplane mode. More information in the links below.
Links discussed:
Gail Anderson. Reinventing the Museum
Loic Tallon. Digital Is More Than a Department, It Is a Collective Responsibility
33rd Bienal. Convite à Atenção
P.S.: Thank you to Nathalia Lavigne and Jeff Keese for the references to Loic Tallon and Convite à Atenção.
Access the playlist featuring all audio recordings of the column Ouvir Imagens on Rádio USP | Read all transcripts and posts.