Cultural Bondage

By Macie Harkovich

Of the cultural institutions in crisis, the one trend that I found most intriguing was this: although web users obsessively scroll through images online, art museum attendance is down, especially at large premier institutions. At first this shocked me, but after further analyzing this point, it began to make more sense. As a generation, we are consumed by social media and the internet; whether it be Instagram, Twitter, Tik-Tok, or scrolling on the internet, teens and young adults are, for lack of a better phrase, obsessed with their phone. Year after year, it seems the age at which children receive their first phone is getting younger and younger, which is a big factor for this de-institutionalization. 

I think this trend is both good and bad. First off, it is amazing that everyone has instant access to images online; it takes almost no time to search for an image for no extra cost. If one wants to see the famous Mona Lisa, you can see her in seconds without having to visit an art museum. In this aspect, I find the web super useful, but it is not all good. On the other hand, there is something so inciteful and inspiring about visiting and mart museum. As someone who likes to go to museums, I love experiencing the art without other people and hearing and seeing their reactions to a piece. Using only the web eliminates this social experience. Furthermore, while art museums can be costly, they open you up to a variety of art you otherwise would not have thought to search up on the web.  

In the future, I do think that art museums could possibly be threatened, due to the fact that they choose what they want to show the public. This is not always advantageous, as art museums may omit pieces that are too controversial or pieces that are not widely considered beautiful. But, with so many creators online using different platforms, it not only allows smaller creators to share their content but gives viewers the freedom to invest in art and in media they are passionate about. This point relates to a major point in Gioia’s article, “The Most Dangerous Thing in Culture Right Now is Beauty,” which is that Gioia wants people to find art they are passionate about rather than an institution telling them what they should care about.  

One final point that I would like to convey is that I do not think art museums will ever die as an institution because they hold so much history. There is something more intimate about visiting a museum and hearing a guide tell you the backstory of an artist and their motivation for creating a piece; searching an image on the web does not give that, which is why I do feel that although this institution may be declining, it cannot be replaces, but should evolve with technology. For instance, many museums are implementing augmented reality (AV) and virtual reality (VR) into the museum experience. In the article, How technology is bringing museums back to life, it shows how art institutions are drawing people using technology. The National Museum in Singapore launched a forest exhibit where visitors could use their smartphones to view the art.