Due to the closure of museums by COVID-19, there is a lot of talk (and inevitably much will be lip service) to the idea of taking museums online. But how will this work? Will it be more than just museum catalogues online? How can museums actually enhance people’s experiences and aid learning outside of a social space? Well, the Museum of London has come up with a solution and I suspect its inception pre-dates the Coronavirus – the Great Fire of London in Minecraft.
UNESCO recently launched its report on museums vs COVID-19 which is the result of an in-depth international survey of museums, culture professionals and Member States about the impact of COVID-19 on the museum sector.
As part of PRC Magazine’s 100th issue celebrations, it asked its readers to vote for Asia’s most iconic buildings completed between 2000 and 2020. From an initial list of 100 projects, 25 were shortlisted for voting and the results of 4,500 votes were published in the 100th issue. Top spot was claimed by Singapore’s Jewel Changi airport, with Zaha Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev in Azerbaijan in second place and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa third. However, the Taikwun Heritage and Arts Centre beat the likes of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium to claim 6th place in Asia’s top 10 most iconic buildings.
As we are all aware, coronavirus has turned many public places and cultural institutions into deserts. And museums are no exception. But given their popularity and integral role in every nations’ cultural and touristic life, they will be some of the first places to recover their numbers. So how should museum managers react? Social distancing guidelines will be key to the re-opening museums after COVID-19 by reassuring the public that their health is being taken seriously.