One of the most important lessons I learned about the use of technology in galleries is that when using it, there’s hardly a middle road. (Hardly… there is maybe one.) Either the technology should be immersive and unobtrusive. Or, it should be overwhelming, in your face, undeniable.
Either technology (and media, etc.) should be used as a tool, or be art in itself.
The moment people notice tech (because of an unintuitive touchscreen, a distracting beamer, flickering lights) it should be part of the artistic experience, or be unplugged. In the V&A I stumbled upon a plague that said it quite nicely, “Only when the technology is invisible is it of any use” (Jonathan Barnbrook, 1990). Read the rest of this entry »
Hugh MacLeod of Gapingvoid wrote a book with a title that immediately put it at the top of my reading list: Evil Plans, having fun on the road to world domination. Maybe world domination is predominantly a manly hobby, but I guess it’s on everybody’s mind once every while. Mr. MacLeod’s book is for the (small) entrepreneur, but most of its lessons fit culture neatly. In fact, I believe we’re halfway there, if not closer. This post, thus, only repeats what we already know, and details some of the steps on the road to world domination we could take.
“It’s not what you make, its what you believe in” (p. 15)
As cultural institutions we’re competing for people’s time. It’s either a visit to a museum, or watching television, or a drink with friends. We’re not something extra; we’re something else. Culture (the stuff in our heads and habits, not the expositions and stuff) however, is always there, even when you’re watching television or having a drink with friends. You can add art to anything. Make stuff with a reason and believe in the greatness of what you do, and culture can be in the hearts of people, even long after they saw your flyer or exposition.
Tell a story that’s about your audience as much as it’s about you
Personalisation of expositions, making them meaningful to our visitors… Like in the Humanity House in The Hague, where you become part of the experience and they address you by name, so you feel it’s about you. This is an easy one; many of us are doing this already.
This is a question and a thought experiment. Which category do you pick, working on new media, participation, communication, etcetera, etcetera, in a museum, when the wild card “other” is omitted? I’m sure the answer says something about how we perceive the role of a museum in society.
Considering the options in the example above, I disagree with the obvious “Nonprofit” choice. Museums with hundreds of millions in assets may not be after profit, but they’re a long way from the struggling charity applying for this label as well. Also, I believe, we’re about adding value to the lives of many, which in a way is very much about profit.
I’m definitely not into banking or automotive or medicine between nine and five. There’re enough people I know, however, who work in museums and dedicate their time to finance, law and retail. That’s more about profession, though, not about industry.
So in what industry is a museum? Education, certainly. Art/Architecture/Design, occasionally. Government, too often, unfortunately. More than anything, though, the museum of the future is Media/Entertainment, I believe. Media to reach people with our stories and entertainment to engage them. The industry of imagination and inspiration. Of begeisterung and participation. That’s the industry I’m in, most of the time.
Innovation is scary. And the fear of innovation keeps many of us from innovating. So let me try to take a position and state that innovation does not exist. Only maybe once every hundred years something truly innovative happens. And then often by chance. Everything else we call innovation is only a remix of what already exists.
Creativity – together with guts the thing responsible for innovation – is something rare. A particular eye-opener to me was John Cleese’s ideas on the origins of creativity as can be seen in the movie below. Creativity is something magic. As opposed to having good ideas (every now and then), which is something you can learn. A skill.
I am not a creative person. However I do occasionally have good ideas. A good idea comes from taking what already exists and applying it differently. It’s why I always advocate looking beyond your own sector, travelling and meeting new people. This, and more, provides you with the building blocks of future good ideas. This is remixing. Whether it happens in the movies, as seen in the video above, or in your job doesn’t matter.
Born in the early 1980s, Richard Branson, his bold endeavours and the iconic brand Virgin have been a constant source of amazement in my life. Everything Sir Richard touches seems to turn into gold (just look at the ad above!). So, what would happen if he said goodbye to galactic and bought himself a museum?
1. He’d cut a lot of the red tape
The amount of bureaucracy in an average museum is appalling. “The world is full of red tape, created by committees with too much time and an overbearing desire for control” Richard would make sure decisions were made fast and using the qualities of the people involved. Not hastily, but with determination, tackling problems when they arise and taking responsibility. If you can build an airline from scratch in three months, everything is possible.
2. He’d embrace change, challenge and innovation
“You’ve got to stretch to grow.” Nothing is sacred, especially not because it has been done so for years. If something were broken, Mr. Branson would fix it. “To win, you have to break the rules.” Innovation, not for the sake of change, but to improve the product. How often do you see museums repeating the same old trick that – honestly – doesn’t really work that well? It doesn’t cost much more energy to try something new. You might discover something great. Read the rest of this entry »
