The Contemporary’s new shows open tomorrow night (Friday, January 22, 7-9pm) and things are busy around here! The artists have been in town all week, working closely with our installation crew to hang the show. We got a staff preview today and it is looking really great. The rest of the museum staff and interns are hard at work preparing for tomorrow’s Opening Night Reception…making welcome signs, arranging for photography and valet, printing and folding the gallery guides, and all of the other little things it takes to get the Contemporary ready to welcome the thousand people who will visit us tomorrow night.

I hope you will join us at the Opening and bring a friend. These exhibitions feature photographs, drawings, watercolors, videos, paintings, music, and even some literature, blurring the boundaries between artist, author, and musician. Both artists use all materials at their disposal to express themselves and create their artworks. Even though the exhibitions are separate solo shows featuring artists who have distinct and unique processes, we’ve observed some parallel concepts running through both. I encourage you to visit the museum to explore these exhibitions for yourself and respond to this blog post. What parallels do you see?

And remember, The Front Room is back! Xavier Cha and Torbjørn Rødland present their work in this fluid space dedicated to creative experimentation. Cha’s work is performance based so be sure to come on Opening Night to experience her performances first hand.

Click here to read an article that was featured in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Mariana Castillo Deball talks about her ideas behind the Klein bottle piñata sculpture created for the exhibition For the blind man in the dark room looking for the black cat that isn’t there. The public was invited to celebrate the end of the exhibition by breaking open the piñata sculpture.

No doubt, communications has always been a necessity of life, but as technology advances, the user is confronted with more user-friendly interfaces and old sources of media die out or become less relevant.  This phenomenon is not new by any means. During the past couple of years, technology, and younger generations developing and using the technology, has started a revolution. People no longer consider printed newspaper, radio, or television as their only source of information. The user, now more than ever, is able to choose media sources relevant to them. Many of the more traditional media sources have recognized this growing trend and have adapted to the consumer’s needs by creating RSS Feeds, building a social network, and using these as a free marketing tools. Some have even changed their method of communication completely. A website was once a cornerstone in the emerging technological era, now with the birth of Web 2.0, the Internet and all methods of communication have been radically transformed.

So in a world of change, where do museums fit in? Where does a museum stand? I would argue the museum exists for the people and the people are definitely changing. So in an effort to adapt to visitor demands, museums must evolve, just like all the other industries being forced to adapt. One might think a museum is a place of tradition, existing solely to preserve or present culture, but this view is shifting with the times. An object is simply not enough. A collection is nothing without a curator as the interpreter, and it is worthless without the public’s interest. Objects, collections, and art are valuable things and if museums do not rapidly adapt; museum professionals could quickly lose the public’s interest. 

The new buzz word is “experience.” Museums, science centers, and zoos are being asked by their visitors to give them an experience. Let us not forget where the first seeds of museums existed. Cabinets of curiosities held objects yet to be classified and artifacts of wonder were displayed for a select view to enjoy. As more people are allowed access to culture and items of significance, knowledge spreads and people are able to experience more than they ever have. The challenge becomes how to give the visitor an experience that is still of “wonder” or even find objects that exist in that “unclassified” realm. Time is valuable and people do not wish to waste it on things they have already seen.

People will always have an interest in history, art, and culture, but to really appreciate the foundation of a museum, the person must feel like they belong. A person must feel a connection to the space, to the museum professionals, and to what is being presented. Exhibitions and objects must be relevant to them and their lives. So how is this achieved if so many artworks were not meant to be relevant to future generations, but instead only function for the people living in the timeframe an object/artwork was manifested? It is achieved with open source systems and Web 2.0 technologies. Through these two resources, people are able to mold the museum into their lifestyle. The museum no longer molds the public, instead, the roles have been reversed and people are getting more control over the content in which they wish to view and what they feel is most relevant to their lives. For a museum to thrive, it must continue to challenge a visitor on every level of communication and be an innovative space that is connected and alive.

As museums move into the technological era, the Contemporary is keeping up with the fast paced environment with the launch of their new cell phone tour. Unlike the typical cell phone tour that guides you through an exhibition via an educated professional speaking about what you are viewing, this tour allows visitors to explore the museum and the current exhibition in an interactive way. Upon entering the museum, the visitor is encouraged to use their personal cell phone to text a keyword to the number provided to them. Do not worry about compatibility, this tour works with all cell phones (i.e., smart phones, androids, and standard non-video phones). Within moments, the user receives a text welcoming them to the museum and asking which tour they would like to pursue. Currently, the options are the current exhibition and an architecture tour and other tours are in the design process.

The cell phone tour sends hints to visitors and the visitor must search for the piece or place being described. Once the destination is located, the visitor is then asked a series of questions that can only be answered while in front of the piece or while in the specific place. Points are awarded for correct answers and subtracted for incorrect answers. In this respect, the tour acts as an interactive game that dubs the person with the highest score the champion. As the visitor moves through the space, questions are also complimented with interesting facts, so the experience becomes educational as well as self-motivated. The system allows the user to choose their own path and depending upon the answers given, it will take visitors in different directions or ask alternate questions.

From the user’s point of view, the game is simple and fun, but the internal complexity could only be developed by a company that is helping museums engage audiences in new ways, SCVNGR.

The goal of this project is to provide the visitor with an alternative way of exploring the museum, while also continuing to develop ways to help people better understand and appreciate the wonders of contemporary art.