A Role of a Museum in Consuming and Producing Art During Crises View Digital Media

Focused Discussion
Sandra Kumorowski  

➡️ ZOOM LINK: https://colum.zoom.us/j/8692584297 ⬅️ Art production and consumption is an interrelated practice with functions ranging from therapeutic to documentary. The theory of visual communication classifies this interaction as an aesthetic ecological system where an art producer and art consumer become involved in an intimate, reciprocal relationship. These relationships can thrive during crises when individuals have heightened needs to anchor their emotions in a supportive place—the artwork. Both art producers and consumers reflect upon the existing conditions and chronicle their thoughts and observations. Works of art then become the media that have documented human feelings and events for immediate consumption and future interactions. The reciprocal relationship between the artist and the consumer functions without time constraints because the produced work of art immortalizes the message within. The art consumer can interact with the art piece and receive the message at any time, even after the artist’s passing. During crisis, museums become catalysts and create space for art production and consumption by implementing strategies that positively affect the disturbed ecology of the art system. Museums, that are agile and respond in a timely manner, will have gained a new arsenal of strategic tools to reach broader audiences, strengthen engagement and support continuous art consumption and production that in crises becomes the driving force of positive personal and public changes. This paper is based on the author’s PhD research and interviews with three museum and art history experts.