Karlsruhe museums offer digital services during the coronavirus crisis
Cover picture: Nam June Paik “Noah’s Ark”, 1989 © ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Photo: Polina Yakusheva
Virtual tours, videos and podcasts: Karlsruhe’s museums and cultural institutions are also active during the coronavirus crisis. As long as the museums remain closed, people interested in art can get an idea of the exhibitions online. But it is also possible to take a look behind the scenes of museum operations. karlsruhe.digital presents some of the activities online.
Kunsthalle can be experienced in three dimensions
The portrait of the Marchesa Veronica Spinola Doria by Peter Paul Rubens can be viewed on the screen during a virtual tour of the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, as can the still life with field crops by Frans Snyders.
When walking through the three-dimensional corridors and halls, visitors can immerse themselves in the wonderful world of the Kunsthalle to their heart’s content and linger in front of the individual paintings for as long as they like. In addition, highlights of the collection have been digitally prepared on a separate page and presented together with the favorite works of the museum staff. A blog also offers Kunsthalle fans an entertaining read and background information on the special exhibition with works by Hans Baldung Grien. Under the motto #kunsthalleathome, there are also painting templates and handicraft instructions based on works of art.
State museum attracts visitors with short videos
During the crisis, the Badisches Landesmuseum is regularly posting videos on its website under the motto“Digital through Corona“. In these entertaining films, employees of the state museum explain the meaning and background of the exhibitions and present special exhibits.
Viewers can also take a unique look behind the scenes of the museum’s work at . There is also a podcast on the current exhibition “Humanimal – The Animal and Us” at .
Natural History Museum: Livestream from the coral tank
Visitors to the Natural History Museum can get an overview of current activities and exhibits via the social networks Facebook and Instagram during the lockdown. There is also a live stream from the coral tank, which is an excellent substitute for the usual screensavers thanks to its deeply relaxing images.
ZKM: Weekly program
The digitization of exhibition operations is also being consistently driven forward at the ZKM I Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe during the crisis-related closure. “The ZKM is a competence center for culture and media,” emphasizes ZKM Director Peter Weibel in the video.
The ZKM continues to open its doors virtually with a diverse digital offering: from WednesdAI with topics relating to art and artificial intelligence to digital tours of the exhibitions at the weekend. With various formats such as podcasts and videos, the museum remains digitally accessible to guests.
Peter Weibel: Art, crisis and virus
What does the current coronavirus pandemic mean for art and culture? Peter Weibel is certain that now is not only the time for virology, but also the time for media theory. In the video, he explains that it is not just the virus that is spreading – messages and news are also spreading virally and exponentially. Now is the time for culture to finally enter the digital society.
This is an opportunity, as culture can allay people’s fears of the consequences of the state of emergency. This is possible, for example, if art shows how at least the mobility of communication can be maintained in times of contact restrictions and quarantine.
“Art is an early warning system for society,” emphasizes Weibel. It can show us earlier than politics or business what consequences we need to draw from the current situation.
Cultural institutions need to rethink the conception of their content and focus on online content instead of physical immersion. “We need to break out of space and time and enter into multidimensional communication,” appeals Weibel. In this way, art can open up new horizons in times of restrictions.
The crisis is a real problem for many self-employed artists. “These are precarious occupational groups that the state has not taken an interest in so far,” says Weibel. A payment and reward system should therefore be set up for these people as soon as possible. According to Weibel, a solidarity surcharge or a fund to support artists could provide a remedy.