Effects of Covid-19 on Museums and Culture

A new reality rises, a new identity is shaped by Aggeliki Patakiouti

The article talks about tangible and intangible cultural heritage, taking into account the global coronavirus pandemic and its impact on culture. How did the Covid-19 influence civilization? Did the inclusion mean a cessation of expression? Did the pandemic push museums into a new era of information digitization?

Under the pandemic control Cultural heritage, according to UNESCO, includes three categories of heritage. The first is Tangible culture, such as monuments, buildings, archeological sites, books, works of art, and art objects. The second is Intangible cultures, such as oral traditions, customs, folklore, the arts, language, way of life, and values, and the third is Natural heritage, such as natural sites with cultural aspects, ie cultural landscapes, and natural, biological or geological formations.

MOMus- Experimental Center for the Arts Thessaloniki. “Together, So Far, So Close

© Thodoris Patakioutis

“How can a digital and real balance be maintained at the same time?”

In 2020 the pandemic formed a new, different reality in which museums were forced to regain their audiences and planning at the same time the future in different terms. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) has conducted two surveys to record the effects of the pandemic, which send a signal of danger to the future of museum organizations. According to the ICOM surveys, only one in five participants visited museums online, 23.8% of visitors browsed through videos and images, 20.8% in digital collections, and 19.8% in virtual exhibitions. According to the Network of European Museum Organizations (NEMO), most of the museums suspended their operation in March 2020 throughout Europe, while at the same time seeking emergency measures for the sustainability of the cultural sector.

Picasso Museum Malaga. Miquel Barcelo “Metamorfosis”

© Aggeliki Patakiouti

The effects of the pandemic have hit the economy and society hard, with new design strategy solutions being sought to prevent negative short-term effects, but also to identify new medium-term solutions for museums. It is, therefore, a fact that the “museum” will not be the same museum as before the pandemic. The shift to digitization is a very important issue that museum organizations worldwide must face. However, how can a digital and real balance be maintained at the same time?

“It is important to keep alive our need for culture!”

A long trip to digitalization

(Museum of Reina Sofia Madrid. Charlotte Johannesson “LIevame a otro mundo”)

© Aggeliki Patakiouti

The ICOM research shows that museums have used their collections digitally, podcasts have multiplied, webinars have been organized, and opportunities for sharing experiences and ideas are being spread around the world. Museums were able to function as places of creative conciliation and social cohesion. The use of digital technology in museums can transform the visitor experience. Among the strategies to increase the number of visitors to museums, the utilization of their digital presence plays an important role. Museums have developed digital initiatives in the field of social media, content flow, virtual tours, games, online exhibitions, educational content, etc. It is important to conduct more user experience recording research to develop more effective digital technology design strategies. In addition, museums face an uncertain future in terms of physical traffic, as virtual traffic is increasing in the Covid-19 era. However, the virtual visitation cannot completely replace the physical presence, the direct contact with the exhibits, but also the social conciliation offered by a natural space. It is important to find a balance between the human factor and the adoption of technological developments. Technology is not an end in itself, but it is a means of engaging the visitor in times of pandemic and non-pandemic, improving their experience, and creating accessibility for all. Will museums, however, be able to maintain what they have gained so far, their identity, their public, and their income? It is an opportunity in these conditions that reshape and redefine each of us, the visitors to become co-creators and the museums not to lose their educational purpose, highlighting difficult issues, such as old stories, in modern ways. It is important to keep alive our need for culture!

Giorgio de Chirico Museum Volos

© Thodoris Patakioutis