National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Releases YouTube Video of 'Museums in the COVID-19 Era' Panel Discussion

by Park Pyunghee

Published 20 Jul.2020 07:45(KST)

Video conference scene of panel discussion participants [Photo by National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) will release a video of the online panel discussion titled "Museums in the Era of COVID-19," which discussed the museum's response and role during the COVID-19 pandemic, on its YouTube channel at 4 p.m. on the 20th.

The panel included Yoon Beom-mo, Director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art; Jeon Seung-bo, Director of Gwangju Museum of Art; artist Ahn Kyu-chul; Kim Sung-eun, Director of the Nam June Paik Art Center; and Professor Park So-hyun of Seoul National University of Science and Technology.

In his keynote speech, Yoon Beom-mo shared the impact of COVID-19 on ongoing exhibitions and various programs at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, as well as the new changes the museum experienced while rapidly responding to the situation. He also pointed out that COVID-19 will fundamentally and long-term change our lives and emphasized his expectation that this panel discussion will serve as a catalyst for active debate on the topic.

Following this, Jeon Seung-bo, Director of Gwangju Museum of Art, shared prospects for the future of the art world based on comprehensive research and analysis of international art trends, including the webinar "COVID-19 and Museums: Impact, Innovation, and Post-Crisis Planning," jointly hosted by the International Council of Museums and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He also analyzed the paradigm shift toward digital museums and the activation of online content from multiple perspectives and proposed policies based on these analyses.

Artist Ahn Kyu-chul agreed on the necessity of online museums but spoke about the essential role museums perform as physical spaces and platforms that digital media experiences cannot replace. As places, museums provide experiences of staying there, experiencing time differently from everyday life, encounters, and contemplation?experiences that other spaces cannot offer. He stressed the need for efforts to preserve these experiences in forms possible under current circumstances. Furthermore, he pointed out that with exhibition planning and international exchanges halted, including or excluding works outside the museum is suspended, and only by reestablishing value assessment criteria internally can the crisis be turned into an opportunity.

Director Kim Sung-eun explained various efforts that the Nam June Paik Art Center has consistently made to transform the museum into a commons and described the problems encountered during the COVID-19 era based on these conceptual foundations and practices. She also introduced programs attempted to maintain the museum’s functions amid the spread of the pandemic and shared practical strategies for museums in the COVID-19 era.

Professor Park So-hyun focused on the advent of the post-COVID-19 era and identified the human, material, and functional changes and crises that museums will face. She discussed, with concrete figures, that many museums worldwide are on the brink of closure, and consequently, numerous museum staff members are facing livelihood threats. She emphasized the need for long-term measures to maintain museum functions. Furthermore, she pointed out that online museums cannot serve as sufficient countermeasures and mentioned the necessity to consider those marginalized in this context.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art plans to continuously promote and hold various public programs regarding the future of museums in the COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 eras, using this panel discussion as a starting point. By examining trends across the art world, including museums, in a more in-depth manner, the museum aims to contribute to exploring ways for the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the entire art community to coexist and thrive.