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Tomorrow I'm going to the Tate Modern.
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I went there three years ago. You're gonna love it!
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Yes, I want also last year. It's great.
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Oh! Then why are you going back?
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...
Maybe
is because I really love museums but I have had this little
conversation more than once. There is a lot of people who thinks of
museums as collectibles from a catalog: I have visit it, I can cross
it now from my list of museums to see, let's go for the next one. If
a museum doesn't show temporary exhibitions it almost seems like we
should forget about it, as if the permanent exhibition has no more to
offer. But is not like that.
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| The London National Gallery is always adding little artworks which qualifies its artistic discourse. Go back there! |
Usually the “permanent”
exhibition of a museum shows only a little part of the collection
that they keep in the warehouse, and so the good museums try to have
a little rotation with the exhibited artworks. That not only helps to
a better conservation of the collection but it also creates an
appealing reason for the visitors to come back after a while.
Sometimes it is just an artwork replacing another one; but it also
can be, and here is where in my point of view the thing gets
interesting, a complete new distribution of the artworks. That second
kind of change allow us the see again artworks we have already seen,
but this time under new perspectives. For example, it could be that
the first time we see a certain Caravaggio's still-life the museum
shows it in the same room than the other works of the Italian
painter, but after some years we go back and we find the same piece
surrounded with still-life from other artists. Thereby the first time
we see that artwork we perceive it as a part of Caravaggio's work,
while on our next visit to that museum we can better appreciate the
technical and style differences between all the still-life's.
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| Bilbao's Guggenheim offer is based on temporary exhibitions. Go back there! whenever you can. |
Besides
from that main reason nowadays most museums have also a library open
to the public and organize different activities and conferences, some
of them even host contests, all of that to remember us that they are
there waiting for our next visit. Sure you can also find your
favourite museums online, not only with its own web page but also
with Facebook and Twitter profiles to keep you informed with their
news. Museum shops offer the chance to buy souvenirs with their main
artworks on it, exhibition catalogues, books and drawing material;
while some big museums have also a coffee shop or restaurant, a good
place to host a nice and cultural dinner.
Therefore
we encourage you to go back to the museums you have already visit, to
repeat if you loved them or to give a second chance if their wasn't
what you expected (maybe this time you will feel better in there).
21st
Century museums are, or at least they should be, alive institutions,
full of life and movement, institutions that change, offer activities
and want to interact with the audience. In my own experience there
are museums where I have discover a new thing with every new visit.
Take the chance this weekend with the International Museum Day and
discover, or even better re-discover, the museums in your city.
Ricard Gispert
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