Introduction:
Throughout the rise of internet and technology innovation, art museums, galleries,
and so as many other worldwide businesses have launched their work into multiple
social media platform as an integrative approach to increase their organisation’s
recognition, public relation, communication technology, and information exchange
in the online world. (Kotler, 2001) This includes blogging, vlogging, postcasts,
content sharing online, also with the aim to boost promotion and interaction with
diverse audience in a global scale.
With a focus specifically in the art museum and the creative industry sectors, the
emerging popular Social media platform such as instagram, facebook, and twitter
are providing art museums, galleries, and creative organisations many new
possibilities to increase museum’s prominence and public engagement. (Troshani,
2015) Especially, when it applies to the social media features such as “hashtag”(#),
and “tag” (@) on one of the world’s most popular and mainstream social media
application - Instagram. In which, Instagram becomes a common tool that allows art
museums and galleries to increase promotion, interaction, participation, and the
enhancing of the visitor online experience with a goal to reach their work to a much
wider audience by using those features. (Budge, 2017) This provide new ways of
experiencing culture in the role of museum and social media marketing implication.
Moreover, this has also encouraged a participatory culture to the art museums,
galleries, and many art-related institutions to connect with a global range of artist,
designers, educators, curators, and online users. (Drotner, Schrøder, 2013) In which,
this also help to enhance art museums and galleries in social networking and global
connection to gain their worldwide recognition.
Nevertheless, while art museums and galleries are becoming fully embrace to the
participatory potential of social media. The application between the art museum
industry and social media have raised questions to the theoretical challenges
stepped in discourses of art museum’s traditional values, authority and materiality.
(Davis, 2020) Museum critiques argue that museum’s integrity has shifted to
prioritise to suit the market trend. Especially when it comes to the change of art
museum positioning themselves in social media and multi-disciplinary content
creation throughout the internet. (Davis, 2020) In addition, the increased use of
social media marketing and its online exhibition have also set up challenges and
raised questions wether the online framework of art museum and gallery have
affected public interest to visit the museum physically. (Bradley, Esche, 2007) With
the issues in mind, we argue whether social media use in museum spaces is leading
to a decreased public engagement in this area, as well as lowering the value and
standard of art museum and its objectives in long term.
With reference to case studies from a broad theoretical and chronological range.
This essay pertaining to an analysis of the benefits and challenges of art museums
and contemporary art galleries approach into Instagram marketing. With an aim to
find out where art museums and galleries are now and what their future might hold
in the area of social media marketing.
The museum’s mission in the era of social media
Art museums and galleries, like most institutions are guided by ideals laid out in a
statement of mission. (Cannon-Brookes, 2001) There are no doubts about different art
museum and gallery has it own historical background, specialisms, and future aspiration.
Particularly, we will be discussing how different types of art museum and gallery position
themselves into Instagram. In what way do they portray themselves on a social media
platform? How does the use of Instagram benefiting or affecting their mission and
objectives?
Art Museums
To begin with, traditional and modern art museum focus on illuminate the histories of
culture, permanent collections, national collection, display and interpretation. (Conforti,
1993) Art museums shatter a commitment to preserving the objects in their care for
posterity and to making those objects available to the public. The role of an art museum is
not only a place for education and the preservation of treasured objects. In fact, the
traditional art museum and the value proposition for art and culture. It also provides
platform for international dialogue, healing conversations across the divisive boundaries,
and even to offer places of refuge, spiritual and cultural nourishment throughout time.
(McClellan, 2008)
Living in the 21st century, art museum continue to share the goal of championing art and
artist, as well as its value to the society. With an objective to create rewarding experience to
welcome broad and diverse audience to inspire, learning and research. (Meskimmon, 2011)
At the same time, art museum have also established alternative models in the fundamental
changes to suit the market trend. This includes new models of art collection and curation,
art centres, art fairs, art markets, artist agencies and artist cooperatives with changes in
many forms of cultural consumption with sales driven. (Kotler, 2001)
The Contemporary Art Galleries
& commercial galleries
In contrast, the contemporary art gallery’s dedicated to exhibition only. Their mission set
to deliver contemporary art, bring art to life to digital space and assist new emerging artist
to reach their work to a much wider audience by collaboration with artist co-operatives.
(Suess, 2015) They focus on developing multi-disciplinary projects, exploring the
relationship between technology and culture. (McClellan, 2008) Whereas, the commercial
galleries are privately owned. Their mission focus on independent gallery models, for
profit galleries that select and represent artists and sell their work via the contemporary
art market and art events. (Rusakov, 2020) Sharing a similar ideology as the art museum
sectors, both of the contemporary art gallery and the commercial gallery are using
Instagram and other social media platform to boost promotion, advertisement, and
especially with their goal to expand their social networking to reach as many audience as
possible. (Rusakov, 2020)
Benefit from Social Media
Art museum adapted to accommodate new trends in technology. They are transforming themselves
into social media characters to display and advertise their works instantly to the world on a low
budge. Also have taken advantages of the instant display of work that will be shown permanently
online (unless if the social media company and its platform shut down.) Additionally, the art
museum and galleries can edit or remove their work from the instagram feed anytime they want
simply by clicking the buttons. Unlike the traditional exhibitions, which will cost a much higher
budget to modify or remove any framework if the artwork have already been publicised in the
museum. (Budge, 2017)
Along with the rise of internet and social media development, art museum and galleries have been
promoting engagement with online audience. Art museums as cultural institutions have been
increasingly utilised social media as an essential tool to communicate with current and
prospective audiences. (Budge, Burness, 2017) Not only for the purpose to increase reputation and
boost popularity. Art museums and galleries have focused on engaging the public in their
collections, exhibitions and programming as they reimagine themselves in the light of changes in
technology and visitor expectations. Social media framework also help art museum and gallery to
gain worldwide attention to their works including their collection, exhibition, and events. (Belting,
Buddensieg, Weibel, 2013) Instagram enables the online audience to interact with the art museum
and gallery directly. This encourage a participatory culture between the art museums, galleries
and the diverse online audience. Everyone can now directly interact with art museum, or even be
part of their community by using the instagram feature such as “hashtag”(#), and “tag” (@).
Case Studies: The V&A & Saatchi Gallery
To be more specific, we will be looking into examples with case studies of the Victoria and Albert
Museum (V&A), and the Saatchi Gallery. This includes analysing the V&A’s and Saatchi Gallery’s
instagram feed and stories,stories, for the purpose to explore how they transform themselves from
an art museum, gallery to a digital brand via social media panels.
The V&A’s Mission
To start with, The V&A is the UK’s national museum of art, design and performance located in
South Kensington, London. The V&A organised as a Museum of Manufactures in 1852, and
transform to the “state-of-the-art-galleries” as a non-departmental public body of the department
for culture, media and sport, and charity. (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021) The V&A portray
themselves as the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance. The museum itself
holds many of the UK’s national collections and houses with some of the greatest resources for the
study of architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass,
ceramics, book arts, Asian art and design, theatre and performance. (Forster, 1991) The V&A’s
mission set to expand the V&A’s international reach, reputation and impact. At the same time, the
V&A also focus and deepen the relevance of their art collections to the UK creative and knowledge
economy. (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021)
The V&A approach to inspire people wherever they live, and explore the nationwide activity the
museum undertakes with museums, local authorities, universities and schools, charities and
community groups. (Forster, 1991) With their mission and goal to enrich people’s lives by
promoting research, knowledge, and enjoyment of the designed world to the widest possible
audience. The V&A strive to “make the V&A matter” with an aspiration to create a world class visitor
and learning experience across all V&A sites and collections. The V&A has also developed as an art
institution, collaborate with RCA with MA courses. The V&A academy itself including educational
art school, primary school, secondary schools and colleges that is also involved with various
initiatives that bridged art and science. (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021)
How is the V&A using Instagram to fulfil their mission?
The V&A’s instagram account (@vamuseum) is considered as an active account with a 1.5 million
followers (Potential audience), the museums shared their work on a daily basis (one post per day in
average). (Vamuseum, 2021) Featuring a mixture of their art collection including sketches,
sculpture, accessories and their fashion collection by posting photographs with short caption
(Ranging from 50 to 100 words per post). (Vamuseum, 2021) Most of their post have at least 5,000
“likes”, “Views” and hundreds of comments in average. This suggest that the V&A’s social media
account (@vamuseum) have obtained a great attention from other social media users and online
audience. Not forget to mention about the V&A shop and cafe, in which the V&A has opened a
separate social media account on instagram (@vamuseumshop) with a 11.3K followers for the
approach to promote their products. (Vamuseumshop, 2021) Another instagram account
(@museumchildhood) with 21.1k followers to promote the V&A Museum of childhood in Bethal
Green houses and the V&A’s collection of childhood-related objects. (Museumchildhood, 2021) The
V&A instagram’s feed demonstrates a strong visual portfolio to display their artwork in the
Instagram’s digital space. This also allows other online audience to preview the V&A’s collection
immediately, and be able to learn about their artworks from their post. Potentially, this also help to
encourage online audience to “re-think”, to “learn” and “voice” their opinion directly to the art
museum. (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021) In addition, the V&A has also created many other themes and features on their instagram stories
and IGTV, which is a video-based platform that enable social media users to share a up to 10
minutes length video to the public. This includes the showcase of exhibition and set up behind the
scene; Professional talks about the career working in the art museum and creative industry;
Learning experience by answering “quiz” about their art collection, motion graphics, art history
and design documentary. (Vamuseum, 2021) Instead of seeing the pristine image of a newly
renovated work of art ready for redisplay. The social media participants can witness the process
from the viewpoint of a conservator. Many experts believe that sharing internal museum processes
with the public is the driving force behind online public engagement. (Snow, 2015)
The V&A has taken advantage of Instagram, and produced works to increase educational content
creation and interaction with the diverse online audience. They aim to research and gain data
about public’s taste and public interest in order to increase the quality of their future content.
(Mon, Koontz, 2020) The Instagram “hashtag” function has also enabled everyone to tag or hashtag
their accounts, so that anyone’s image could be featured on the V&A’s “tagged” feed. This also help
the V&A to build a worldwide social network. (See image 3) In which, everyone can be participated
and involved as part of the V&A, so as other art museums. (Vamuseum, 2021)
Challenges for the V&A, and art museums
on Instagram
The characteristics of the art museum and its leader impact social media attitudes, behaviours and
intention towards social media have been downgraded. (Journal of Conservation and Museum
Studies, 2013) The content that were shared through the V&A’s instagram account are very limited.
In which, they managed to demonstrate a great portfolio to showcase a range of their collection.
However, there are many missing pieces due to the limitation of social media, many of the V&A’s
museum mission have not been mentioned or included in their social media site. (Vamuseum,
2021) Such as the V&A academy and community that are stated on their official website. In
addition, the display works that are published on instagram are completely random. Sometimes a
mixture of fashion, sometimes a random photograph of the museum. Depends on which subject
can attract more likes and followers. There are no orders or structures, and it is very hard for the
audience to research any specific work from their Instagram site. Furthermore, when we looked at the V&A’s instagram feed and its content shared on their feed and
stories, it is clear to see that the V&A has completely changed their use of visual languages.
(Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies, 2013) The art works are simply described by whom
that are behind the screen of instagram and in charge of the museum’s social media account, or
informed by agency and authority on the part of the user. (George, 2015) In which, their content
style have been shifted to the “social media aesthetic” and standard. (see image) For the purpose to
suit the public’s taste and the market trend. (George, 2015)
Decrease of Museum’s traditional value,
authority, and materiality.
In the context of a rapidly expanding consumer society with hunger for material and attention
comforts, the latter position has itself been contested by proponents of traditional values.
(McClellan, 2008) The rise of art museum relying on social media have raised concern of the
museum’s authority and materiality on a broad-based reaffirmation of principles. Museum’s
manager find struggle with the issue of maintaining their museum’s integrity as a “distinctive”,
“collecting”, “conceiving”, “researching”, “exhibiting”, and “educational institution”. (McClellan,
2008)
Social media has blurred the lines between traditional roles of exhibition developers, artists,
educators, and conservators, merging with roles previously assumed by marketing and public
relations department. Before the emergence of social media, marketing and public relations staff
members were responsible for representing the image of an art museum and institution by
organising the exhibition, collection, display and Interpretation. (Kotler, 2000) Whereas, along
with the rise of Instagram and other new emerging social media feature, especially due to the
impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Art museums are focusing much more on digital display and social
media marketing. (Kist, 2020)
The social media department or the person who is behind the screen of Instagram is now becoming
in charge of the art museum’s social media account become the presence of the museum and its
organisation. (Kotler, 2000) This lead to a concern of how historical, ethnic, and cultural
characteristics are rewritten by the global culture and economic transformations that are taking
place in the social media marketing sectors. (Troshani, 2015)
Disempowerment of the controlled zone
Despite museum find themselves attempting to placate patrons and critics of different stripes
while keeping an eye on rising costs and competing form of recreation. (McClellan, 2008) The
mission and aspiration of an art museum have shifted to prioritise “the market trend” rather than
preserving the traditional value of an art museum’s authority and materiality. Given that
worldwide reputation and global recognition are vital to measure the success of many museums in
the modern age of social media and globalisation. (Troshani, 2015) Art museum is encouraging a
participatory culture with an aspiration to reach as many as audience as possible. This is also due
to the fact of the increased competition along with the rapidly growth of online art galleries, online
exhibition, online businesses in the social media sectors. (Kotler, 2000) The participatory culture between art galleries
and artists via social media
The participatory culture has also been widely shifted in the contemporary art gallery and the
commercial gallery sectors. Sharing a similar objectives for the purpose of increasing reputation,
promotion, participation by opening their gateway to the worldwide audience. (DeAndrea, 2012) In
recent year, there is a rising number of contemporary art galleries offering new opportunities to
promote other artist’s and designer’s work by “featuring” or so called “a shout out" from their social
media account. (Blumberg, 2018) Particularly, the art galleries are openly inviting everyone to
interact with them by using the tag and hashtag feature. With a chance to get promoted or
published by the art gallery via their Instagram account. (Puncer, 2019) This has successfully
attracted many new visitors, online audience, and social media users to engage with the gallery by
using those feature to share their post with the gallery, follow, and like their posts. This is
becoming a common strategy in public relations and social media marketing. (Puncer, 2019)
Saatchi Gallery’s Mission
Follow another example with case studies of the Saatchi Gallery, in which, the
gallery has been actively promoting instagram culture and the participatory culture
with the online audience. (Littlefield, 2008) Located in London, Sloane Square, the
Saatchi Gallery is famous for presenting contemporary art exhibitions showcasing
the work of emerging artists since 1985. As a registered art charity, the Saatchi
Gallery’s mission set to acquire a strong reputation for introducing artist who would
later gain worldwide recognition. They strive to present projects in physical and
digital spaces that are engaging, enlightening and educational for diverse
audiences. (Saatchigallery.com. 2021) According to their mission statement, their
organisation seeks to collaborate with artists in an open and honest manner with a
primary aim of introducing their work to a much wider audience. The gallery
presents curated exhibition on themes relevant and exciting in the context of
contemporary creative culture, with its value to reveal the possibilities of artistic
expression to young minds, encourage fresh idea and stimulate innovation.
(Saatchigallery.com. 2021) With a 2 million followers of their main instagram account (@saatchi_gallery), the Saatchi Gallery
present a high performance and activities on their Instagram account. They have created various
name of hashtag for everyone to interact with the gallery. (saatchi_gallery, 2021) Such as “#saatchi”,
“#saatchitakeover”, “saatchiart” which enable anyone to display their work to the gallery and a wide
range of audience with a chance of being acknowledge by other users. (saatchi_gallery, 2021)
Moreover, they have also created many other hashtag for the event promotion purposes such as
“#JRSAATCHI” to engage with their new solo museum exhibition JR: Chronicles launched from 28
January - 11 April 2021. Also include other hashtag such as “#saatchigallerymembership” to find
out more information about their membership. The gallery also invite artist, creatives, and art
educators to host instagram live stream sessions as part of their “#saatchiartclub”. In which, the
Saatchi gallery has also actively promoting their gallery education program shared on IGTV for all
viewers to access. (Saatchigallery.com. 2021)
The Saatchi gallery has certainly being very successful in social media marketing and fulfil their
mission via instagram. For the objectives of providing an innovative platform for contemporary art
and culture. In which, the Saatchi gallery introduce different theme every week for everyone to
participate with their social media event. Everyone can be involved and potentially have a chance
to “win” a feature and get their work published by the gallery. As the gallery state to introduce
different new emerging “artist” and their work on a daily basis, and help them to boost visibility
and reputation in the social media world. (Saatchigallery.com. 2021)
Issue: everyone is becoming an artist
However, sharing a similar issue with the V&A, the art museum and gallery have now opened their
gateway to all the online users. Welcoming everyone to interact with their social content with the
aim to boost visibility. Where everyone can share their texts, photos, or videos and potentially get
involved and participate as part of the art museum’s or art gallery’s social media community
simply by using the tag and hashtag function. (Carey, 2012) Social media and Instagram is
becoming this online hybrid place where the lay public can offer their works to others with the aid
of media art, be part of the museum’s community and without the guardians of the art world. This
social media trend of democratic art is encouraging a culture of "Everybody is an artist and
everybody is creative on the web.” (D’Avossa, 2013) Suggest a warning that art in general has lost its
monopoly on creativity. Public activism was already a major factor in revolutionary art practices
and strategies. Due to the public and private activism in the political social, and artistic spheres
performed on social web platforms and in the public spaces. (Troshani, 2015) This is so called the
“user innovation”, and “consumer-generated content” that has led to a new kind of democratic art
living in the epoch of expanded creativity. The masses’ creativity have been censured. (Troshani,
2015) For instance, when we look at some of these “featured art” by the Saatchi Gallery, as simple as an
image of a circle, or photograph of fruits, with an extremely short caption and tagged the social
media user. (saatchi_gallery, 2021) Those lucky users become the famous “artist” who get exhibited
and recognised by one of the world’s leading contemporary art gallery immediately. Which
encouraging more and more new emerging “social media artist” or “Instagram artist” publishing
photoshop arts with the aim to attract more followers and get published by those contemporary art
galleries if they are lucky enough. (Ursyn, 2015) However, this kind of instagram culture has raised
questions of how the gallery define what art is and what good art is? How do they define and
stipulate what could be exhibited on their instagram feed? Whether it has been discussed by a
group of the art gallery’s members? Or it has been taken control by the person who is in charge of
the gallery’s social media account? Or is it through the artist agency? or even a social media
marketing agency? The gallery ought to draw a clear line to the procedure and criteria of how and
why they select the specific work to get published on their social media channel. (Ursyn, 2015)
Low quality of work display
Despite the use of their instagram feed and story in content creation are being able to reach a much
wider range of audience. Nevertheless, when we look into their instagram feed, or so as other art
museum’s social media account, it is hard to review the art collection the same way as it is in real
life. (Puncer, 2019) Not only because of the use of content quality and languages are being adjusted
to the social media standard. But it is also due to the fact that all the published artworks including
the museum’s art collection, sketches, paintings, sculpture, are all being resized and compressed
into low resolution quality of images. Specifically, instagram only allow a maximum resolution of
1080 x 1080 pixel / 1080 x 1350 pixel for the main feed, and 1080 x 1980 pixel for instagram story.
(MacDowall, 2019) We argue that the low quality of content display can not entirely represent the
artworks. In fact, it has taken away the beauty and value of the objects that are showcases on their
Instagram features. (Ursyn, 2015) The artworks that were posted by the V&A and Saatchi Gallery
can not entirely offer the same experience to the audience compare to the physical experience in
real life. The social media display Can not replace the physical museum’s and gallery’s experience
Given an example of this stunning piece of art installation - United Nations, which features
international flags made entirely out of human hair - created and produced by Wenda Gu, a
Shanghai-born artist. (Gu, Bessire, 2003) The installation was located in Saatchi Gallery, and it was
part of the exhibition in which deliver a clear the message of “East meets West” in cultural
translation. The display features 250 works and looks at the impact of the pop art movement
globally, with many artists from the former Soviet Union, China, and Taiwan among those
represented, along with figures from the UK and US. (Gu, Bessire, 2003) The artwork was displayed
in a massive space of room, (Saatchigallery.com. 2021) where visitors could look around the art
piece in a 360 degree. Visitor can view the piece in details. Not only by looking around the fabric
with reflection of light, shadow and transparency. But actually, the visitors were able to feel the
texture, the sensation of smell, and emotion engaging the artwork with their physical experience.
This kind of visitor experience can never be replaced by looking at photographs on social media
channel. (Ursyn, 2015) Even though, we know it is just a way of presentation combine with the
social media feature. This called into question and judgement by museum critics and the
encounters whether the low resolution of display can really increase public’s interest about their
museum and artwork? Or instead, it actually reduce the impression, attractiveness and public’s
interest of the pieces as a matter of fact that anyone can just simply go on their instagram to
preview the work on a digital space within minutes. (Laws, 2019) This might result to less visitors
and physical public engagement due to the increase of online display, as online and social media
will continue to lead the future trend. (Ursyn, 2015)
Solution: Find the balance of the use of social media
It seems inevitable that the museums will become “hybrid places, combining recreation and
learning, allowing visitors diversions from the intense stimuli of strolling through galleries and
viewing multitudinous objects. (McPherson, 2006) The art museum need to continue focusing on
bringing art and the arts to life. “Quality instead of Quantity.” Even though we agree that
interactivity and participation of social media have been beneficial to the art museum and gallery
industry. It is necessary for the art museum and gallery to understand that they are responsible to
protect the value of art and asset of creativity. Maintain the gateway of the dominant artoperatives.
(Henning, 2006)
Participation with the art museum should be addressed to a much higher standard. To be specific,
the art museum need to justify what is good art and why the art is being display on their social
media feed. Moreover, in what way do they select to publish the work from other social media users
when it comes to collaboration with other online audience. Who are the judges? Who are the
people to take control behind the screen of the social media account? (Ursyn, 2015) All these
questions remain an answer to be justified by the art museum and gallery.
Conclusion
Living in the digital era of multimedia, art museums and galleries are positioning
themselves in the diverse digital space working in online exhibition, curatorial
strategy, global branding, digital marketing, entertainment, and education
working across in diverse aspects to fulfil the new museum’s mission. To a certain
extent, art museum engagement with social media represent a form of
organisational change. (McClellan, 2008) The connected museum in the world of
social media have increased the museum’s popularity, visibility, and have gained a
worldwide recognition thanks to the convenience and accessibility of Instagram
and other social media channel. (Budge, 2017)
In this essay, we have discussed about the benefits and challenges of the use of
instagram in the art museum and gallery sectors. With case studies of learning how
the V&A and Saatchi Gallery positioning themselves on Instagram. We have
discovered that both the V&A and Saatchi Gallery have done an excellent job to
fulfil part of their mission and goal. Especially when it comes to expanding
international audience reach, with an approach to increase reputation and deliver
an outstanding digital experience through the Instagram channel. On the bright
side, the new role of art museums and social media implications are extensive for
cultural institutions given the uptake of social media in all corners of life, with
museums and galleries being a lively context for social media use via mobile and
laptop technologies. (Budge, 2017) We found that the museum and gallery use of
Instagram have successfully engaged online audience in a manner that
transcended the digital space and extended their interactive experience. The art
museum and gallery have now opened up their gateway to everyone for
participation as part of their community. (DeAndrea, 2012)
However, we argue that this ideology of “Everyone can be an artist” has led to a
decrease of museum’s traditional value, authority, and materiality. In which, more
and more social media user can simply open an Instagram account and claim
themselves as an artist, creators, or designers that everyone can get involved and
participate as part of the art museum and gallery. Which was once a state-owned or
privately controlled zones in the creative domain. (Troshani, 2015) As a result, the
encouraging social media culture of “everyone can be an artist” might actually
affect to deduct the value of art and the artist community. (Ursyn, 2015) This has
also raised concern that the social media display function will actually reduce
public’s interest to visit the museum physically as many works are already being
shown online. Which might result to a decrease of physical public engagement in
the future. (Laws, 2019)
In fact, we believe that art exhibition, collection, installation require a wellyplanned
curatorial strategies. In short, different art pieces / paintings / sculptures
require different setting of space, installation, lighting and other equipment.
(Blumberg, 2018) However, the continue growing instagram culture has taken
away that special impression of the exhibition. There are many stunning
exhibition and 3D installation that have been squeezed to the low resolution of
images that being published on social media. (Ursyn, 2015) While the art museum
entitle to promote that “digital growth” with the aim to meet target of increasing
their social media followers and audience. The art museum and gallery attempt to
post on a daily basis, while lowering their visual standard and the use of languages
in content creation to suit the market trend. We suggest that the art museum and
gallery should stop measuring the success of their performance by the amount of
“followers”, “likes”, “views” or “comments” in competition to other organisation. As
well as to avoid lowering the museum’s standard to fit in the social media culture.
(Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies, 2013)
All in all, the art museum and galleries need not to be afraid of using
entertainment and applying their creative work in the social media channel. They
should embrace it as a tool for learning, and potentially attracting a wider and
more diversified public. (McClellan, 2008) As a result, the art museum and gallery
will need to find the balance between protecting its value, authority and
materiality. While they bring in the target to maintain their content in the highest
quality as possible. The art museum and gallery should focus on delivering art and
promoting culture. Make the arts all meaningful again. Enlighten and create
impression to the diverse audience and art-operatives for their future mission and
aspiration.
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