Sea of Phones Art Museum People on Phones Art Museum
Past at present we all must have seen the photograph, showing a group of schoolchildren apparently ignoring Rembrandt'southward artistic masterpiece – seemingly engrossed instead in Facebook or Snapchat on their mobile phones. It's a familiar and frustrating sight for many of usa working in the heritage sector.
The prototype, taken at Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, went viral and has been shared and commented on thousands of times since the picture was posted online by photographer Gijsbert van der Wal. The vast majority of comments have been rather unkind, describing the scene every bit a sad reflection on the state of today's youth and 'a metaphor for our age'. However, I must acknowledge to enjoying a sure schadenfreude when I institute out the kids in the movie were actually looking at the museum'southward mobile app as office of their inquiry for a school assignment, and non Facebook, as nigh commentators had accused. Indeed, some other image of the aforementioned grouping shows the kids seated and engrossed in front of ane of Rembrandt'south portraits.
However, while the truth of this detail epitome might embarrass those who were eager to tut and huff at the youth of today, there'south no getting away from the fact that many heritage sites ARE failing to engage their visitors. Sights such as this should brand us embarrassed – not of the behaviour of those unimpressed by our exhibits, but embarrassed at ourselves and our own failings. Considering if people aren't engaging with our exhibits, information technology means we're the ones at fault and we but take ourselves to blame.
The lack of relevance and empathy
Equally visitor attractions nosotros have a remit and a responsibleness to attract and engage visitors. If we're not successfully doing that and then information technology is rather arrogant to arraign the company when they choose to wait elsewhere for entertainment. If people are looking at their phones then that's only a sign that they're just more interested in their phones than they are in our exhibits. And if that is true, and so we should exist embarrassed. It's our job is to appoint them, and if nosotros don't, then visitors are quite at liberty to seek out a more engaging activity.
Anyone who has spent time observing our visitors volition know that most of them aren't heritage enthusiasts. Nigh are ordinary Joes and Joannes on a twenty-four hours out, looking for something interesting to do with their leisure time. And, whether nosotros like it or not, most will need a little assist understanding the items on brandish in our exhibitions. In society to do this, we must interpret them finer, and this is where many heritage sites do sadly neglect.
Interpretation is all about explaining the meaning of something, but there's an important caveat to consider too. It'due south important to remember that practiced estimation should not be focussed on what the exhibit means to YOU, but focus instead on what the showroom might hateful to THEM – the visitors. This awarding of empathy and focus on relevance is the tipping indicate of skilful interpretation, and many sites fail considering they look visitors to be inherently interested in our subject matter.
We'll all be familiar with this blazon of cocky-important interpretation, often created by curators and historians and usually written in a language and style which volition not engage near visitors. It's characteristically also detailed, contains jargon, too long, or assumes the visitor already has a foundation of understanding. And, for nearly visitors, that is just not the example.
Be engaged – or else!
In ane of the threads heaping blame on the school kids shown in the viral photo, I was asked if people should not detect art and exhibits intriguing in their ain right, and therefore be interesting plenty to negate the coercion to pull out the telephone for a quick game of Angry Birds.
Of course, in an ideal world everyone would be interested in heritage and museums and art and exist so engaged with the exhibitions that they'd be engrossed regardless. But we would exercise well to think that the need for practiced interpretation is entirely dependent on who is looking at the showroom. Even fine art masterpieces, such as the Rembrandt in question, are not entirely self-axiomatic to those with no previous interest or understanding of art. The need and use of interpretation volition vary depending on the company, what the artifact is and how information technology is presented.
Some people might exist intrinsically intrigued by Rembrandt'south work.
Others might not.
Some might be intrinsically intrigued by Banksy'south work.
Others might not.
But, and this is the whole point of good interpretation, those who are not naturally interested in a item antiquity might be persuaded to be interested if they tin can exist engaged – if the importance or meaning of the artifact can be explained to them in a mode which makes it highly-seasoned or relevant. Banksy fans can become Rembrandt fans if galleries offer the opportunity to capeesh it through expert estimation.
As mentioned previously, visitor attractions take a mandate to attract and engage visitors. And and so, past default, we have a duty to appeal to equally broad an audience every bit possible. If our estimation, or lack of information technology, is failing to engage, and so we take failed. If nosotros just put fine art and artifacts on display and say 'There yous go – at present be engaged!' and so we will fail. Unfortunately many establishments practise exactly that.
I think nosotros can all hold that galleries and heritage attractions can exist so much more than merely collections on display. Our museums and galleries have an of import job to practice and a vital role to play in our society and our responsibility to appoint, inform, charm and enrich our visitors' experiences play a large part in that responsibility.
Good constructive interpretation is the key to usa fulfilling this responsibility. Always call back that interpretation is all almost explaining the pregnant of something, and it should always be focused on the needs of the visitor. Good interpretation is vital to the wellness and wellbeing of our sites and our industry and our cultures.
Because, without it, our exhibitions are only a collection of meaningless old crap and most people just aren't that interested.
Nigh the author – Tony Jones
Tony Jones is a freelance interpreter working with museum pattern companies and heritage sites effectually the world.
Find out more than about interpretation hither: https://www.52oaks.com
Source: https://www.museumnext.com/article/kids-looking-phones-instead-exhibits-fault-not/
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