Thursday 1 April 2021
In the government’s four-step roadmap to remove lockdown restrictions, museums in England can reopen on Monday 17 May. So while shops and libraries can open from Monday 12 April, we’ll have to wait another month after that until we can return to our favourite collections and explore new exhibitions for the first time. In Scotland, Monday 26 April is the opening date, while Wales and Northern Ireland have yet to announce one.
It’s been a sobering time for our cultural institutions. According to a survey by
The Art Newspaper, last year visitor numbers at the world’s top 100 museums and art galleries were, unsurprisingly, down 77 per cent from 2019. Which means revenues have plummeted, staff have taken redundancy and exhibition budgets have been cut, despite financial assistance from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund. It may take several years for them to recover, and some may be forced to close their doors permanently. So when museums can reope
Pentagram’s Sascha Lobe and Yuri Suzuki rebrand Midi, the tech that changed music forever
As the Midi Association releases Midi 2.0, its biggest update in 35 years, the two designers have created an identity inspired by musical forms – yet devoid of any music brand cliches.
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In 1981, Midi technology changed the way musical instruments communicated and opened up a whole new world of possibility for music creators globally. It allowed for products by different manufacturers – instruments, computers and audio devices alike – to connect to one another seamlessly, sparking the genesis of computer music sequencing programmes and all the audio possibilities that it offered. Now, Midi is the industry standard, used every day around the world, yet the Midi Association only recently introduced Midi 2.0, its most significant update in 35 years. This invited an opportunity to rebrand, which has been undertaken by not one but two Pentagram partners (and musicophiles) Sascha Lob
Picks of the month: the best design events in January
Though the UK has now entered its third lockdown, there’s no shortage of online design events from virtual dog exhibitions to font-themed quizzes. January 6, 2021 4:13 pm
Digital design activities, from the Design Museum
Young Design Museum has plenty to offer creatively-minded kids during lockdown as a break of addition to homeschooling. On offer this week is a worksheet with cut-out templates to colour in and build your own high street. There are also videos on DIY musical instruments (think castanets and banjos). Lesson plans are also available for a variety of ages, ranging from rethinking rubbish to running your own ethical and sustainable company.
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The five biggest exhibition design stories of 2020
In a year where many cultural institutions were closed, exhibition designers had to adapt and often bring the museum experience into our own homes. December 18, 2020 12:58 pm
Non-Pavilion, a VR installation at the V&A for last year’s London Design Festival
How would the badly-hit exhibition sector return after the first lockdown? The Design Museum’s headline exhibition, Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers, had been set up before lockdown and its organisers revealed to Design Week how it had been adjusted accordingly. As well as mandatory masks and hand sanitiser stations, bike capacity had been doubled so that people would not have to take public transport and the capacity was halved (the museum had to open late to cover a shortfall in ticket sales).