After the closure of large art institutes and museums, the need arises to look to the future with a confident gaze. After more than a month and a half, the first plans to reopen in some parts of the world begin to emerge. Obviously, as the institutions themselves announce, museums reopening will be a gradual process that will employ special precautions.
When will Museums reopen?
After the world crisis, museums and cultural institutions around the world were forced to shutter due to COVID spread. In China, Germany, and Austria, the post-emergency future is being now planned. This week the first dates of the reopening of some of the most important cultural institutions of the respective countries have been announced. In particular, small museums in the German state of Brandenburg were the first to reopen their doors to the public.
We now wonder how the artistic fruition will change when the situation returns to normal. The uncertainty raised in recent weeks announces a new way of approaching art. Germany, in particular, has already announced some of the measures to apply at museums’ reopening. For example, some museums are requiring that visitors use credit cards instead of cash. In addition, ticketing agents conduct business from behind plexiglass shields. The new guidelines in Germany include the widespread use of disinfectants too. However, China is approaching the new phase with even more strict measures.
In general, small centers will move on to reopening first, while institutions in the country’s larger metropolitan centers may not reopen until May. Also, Chinese museums and institutions are actually applying temperature checks for visitors to museums. In addition to the mandatory imposition of the mask, there are limitations in the number of visitors to a person for each area measuring approximately 160 square feet. Not only in China, but all over the world, art experts are approaching the museum reopening with caution, to propose solutions that allow everyone to access the great artistic heritages without health risks. Under consideration are also the time slots for vulnerable visitors, such as children, the elderly, and the disabled.
Next in the future: Museums Reopening
In Germany, Thuringia has announced a reopening date of April 28 for its cultural institutions, although the German Association of Museums stated institutions may not open until May. Altes Museum, Hamburger Bahnhof, and the Bodes Museum may reopen on May 4. The Dresden State Art Collections in Saxony have also announced plans to gradually reopen starting from the beginning of May.
On the other side of the world, in Beijing, the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art plans to open on May 21. The Center that has been closed for four months, will welcome visitors with a peculiar show on display: “Meditations in an Emergency”. The exhibition relates to the events and consequences of COVID-19 spread and quests the importance of art during the crisis.
Following here there are the announces museums reopening dates, however many are subject to change:
Germany
- Altes Museum (May 4)
- Hamburger Bahnhof (May 4)
- Bodes Museum (May 4)
- Dresden State Art Collections (May 4)
China
- UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing (May 21)
Austria
- Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (July 1)
- The Belvedere, Vienna (July 1)
- MAK, Vienna (July 1)