Conducted by the Oi Futuro institute, manager of Futuros, in partnership with Grupo Consumoteca and support from the British Council, its objective was to investigate the relationship between the public and museums, which has been changing even with the full return of in-person activities. “Museum trends in a post-pandemic world” is part of Oi Futuro’s proposal to produce reference content and stimulate innovation. In 2019, the institute was also responsible for the unprecedented survey “Narrative for the future of museums”, which interviewed more than 600 people and outlined an overview of the relationship between the Brazilian public and museums.

“This line of research was born in 2017 from our questions about the evolution of our museum, Musehum – Museum of Communications and Humanities. Musehum is unique because it co-exists with a cultural center, Futuros – Art and Technology, and also because it combines a historical collection, dating back to the 19th century, with a living collection of communication technologies that are changing our lives and our relationships every minute”, says Carla Uller, executive manager of Programs, Projects and Communication at Oi Futuro. “In this second edition, we understand that social isolation has brought changes in cultural participation that are still being felt and understood. This new survey sought to read signs and trends in different parts of the world, also promoting new intersections between the audiences of museums, cultural centers and festivals. As a cultural institution, we know that we need to be prepared to meet the multiple expectations of diverse audiences, who today are increasingly inclined to be protagonists and authors of their own experiences.”

WHO GOES TO THE MUSEUM?

One of the main challenges identified by the survey was precisely the difficulty museums and cultural centers face in adapting to the “era of protagonism,” which requires these spaces to rethink the journey of their visitors and incorporate new cultural experiences, with the public at the center. “The ‘topdown’ vision of only bringing curators and saying ‘come see this because it’s important’ is no longer acceptable; the relevance of content must be understood in its social context. The museum must encourage the public to take ownership of the content, establishing a relationship with the community in which they feel part of the museum: ‘we are co-creating, we are co-authoring an exhibition, a research project’, this is essential,” points out Marlus Araújo, founder of MUSEU.XYZ, interviewed in the survey.

FIND OUT THE NEW TRENDS FOR THE MUSEUMS OF THE FUTURE

To strengthen the relationship between museums and different audiences, the survey highlights nine global trends for the future of museums:

1) “The museum of all tribes”: this is a museum that offers different types of activities, formats and languages ​​in its programming, attracting an eclectic audience and establishing itself as a culturally diverse space. The idea is that the museum offers integrative activities in various languages ​​that attract new audiences to museums, such as breakfasts, DJs, storytelling, shows, etc.

2) “The Extra-walls Museums”: this is the one “that has no walls”, connecting with the surrounding community in such a way that the entire city becomes a stage for exhibitions, shows, and integrative activities. To achieve this, museums must engage in dialogue with the surrounding community to map and embrace places that are meaningful to them, adopting public squares and parks and promoting outdoor activities.

3) “Museum of sensations”: provides complete, synesthetic experiences that allow visitors to reconnect with themselves, their bodies, and their feelings. Here, more important than the “learned” content is the way it affects the visitor.

4) “Phygital museum”: this is one that brings unique virtual and technological experiences into physical spaces, combining the best of the digital world with the best of museum equipment. The idea is to attract an audience interested in digital language to the physical space.

5) “Meta-museum”: this enters people’s homes. The space is already virtual, accessible from any device, and aims to provide gamified and attractive experiences for more digitalized audiences.

6) “Museum of expanded history”: this is one that is dedicated to telling History from non-hegemonic voices, revealing new perspectives on old subjects. The idea is for the museum to act, together with the community, as a place to listen to and reverberate new, more plural voices.

7) “Itinerant Capsule Museum”: this museum goes to its audience, bringing unique exhibitions and experiences to remote locations, decentralizing the cultural offering. These are powerful initiatives to democratize access to culture.

8) “Insomniac Museum”: this museum opens its doors at unusual times, providing a different type of relationship with its spaces. The idea is to extend opening hours to democratize and expand access to museums and cultural centers, attracting audiences who normally cannot visit them during business hours.

9) “Backstage Museum”: this museum aims not only to show the final result of the works, but also to invite the viewer to witness and participate in the processes.