Hello this is Roby from ART Tours with a Theme and this is my weekly commentary on art and architecture in the news.
In this blog I discuss about the closure again of museums and galleries in this lockdown 2 or red area, depending where you are based, even if some shops can remain open. Museums had to close regardless the extraordinary safety measures in place over the Summer, when they could reopen. I strongly disagree with this situation and I think they should have been allowed to remain open. I also want to suggest a couple of fantastic museum’s and gallery’s websites that still facilitate our art experience even if online, making it a full experience, almost if we were at their premises.
In saying I disagree with the decision of closing museums in this phase, I want to report my experience. During the Summer, after the first lockdown, I visited the re-opened National Gallery, the British Museum, Tate Modern and I have never felt safer: masks were compulsory, visitors were limited per hour-slot, slots had to be booked in advance online, and there was a visitor’s route to allow for social distancing. I have also visited few private commercial galleries in Mayfair, where similar rules applied and where it happened I was the only visitor! Usually commercial galleries have very few visitors in general, so where’s the problem? I do not see the point in closing museums and galleries, especially because art experience can help with our mental health.
I want here to point out what those museums and galleries have been doing online to facilitate our art encounter at the moment. The idea is not just just gazing at a painting, rather engaging with it, thinking around the themes and topics it represents.
For example, I suggest go to tate.org.uk – there is a section called “art by theme”, which by the way inspired the name of my tour organisation! In this art by theme section, you can find very relevant themes today, for example Black Identities and Art. This section investigates how black history has been represented by white artists in the past and how instead contemporaneous black artists are suggesting to represent it. Another topic is Women and Art, which gives voice to women artists and their point of view. But you can also find a topic like Wellbeing and Art, Disability and Art, etc. All very interesting and engaging!
Another suggestion from me is to enjoy the free online virtual reality tours many museums and galleries are offering. For example, go to Nationalgallery.org.uk, and enjoy their permanent collection from your sofa!
Private commercial galleries can also offer great free exhibitions in VR. Go to GalleriesNow.net, an online magazine around global exhibitions, and sign up to the free weekly newsletter. You will receive the links to a number of global exhibitions, in London, Paris, in NY, with the VR link. All very handy!
I hope online art experience can help navigate this new lockdown, keep safe!
That’s all for this weekly blog! All my audio podcasts are available on 8 platforms under “Art Tours with a Theme”: including Apple Podcast, Google Podcast and Spotify. All my video-podcasts are in Instagram @artwit_london, Facebook: @artwitlondon.
Thank you for listening and share this blog with your friends! Bye!
