Some museums hope that they can harness a new stream of funding from their audiences online.
February 17, 2021
The Baden State Museum has created a Tinder-like app to match visitors with exhibits. Photo by Uli Deck/picture alliance via Getty Images.
Since the pandemic first forced museums into lockdown last spring, a growing number of institutions have been trying to supplement lost income by selling tickets to experience their exhibitions online. If successful, the business model could provide a new source of revenue in the future and support further digital investment.
But, let’s face it it’s a hard sell. To audiences used to experiencing museum objects in full IRL splendor, a wander around the Google Street View version of the Temple of Dendur is unlikely to measure up. And it’s equally tough to imagine an audience that isn’t your typical museum-going public ponying up $10 to watch a video of a curator walking through an exhibition when there are more sophisticated off