The future of art mediation is hybrid

Never before has it been easier to reach people through art, with our smart phones being our constant companions, whether we’re in our beds, on the toilet, taking public transportation, sitting in a restaurant, or on a date. Those who cannot make it to a museum are able to access art 24/7 using the internet. We are able to look at art on the other end of the world right from the comfort of our own homes. But what does this mean for art mediation?

Art, especially contemporary art, currently does not precede its reputation for being easy to understand. Art continues to be viewed as elitist and unapproachable, far removed from one’s own everyday reality. Yet it is modern artists who seek to deconstruct the current societal issues that impact our daily lives, such as society’s perceptions of traditional roles, identity, globalisation, and modern technology. Because many contemporary works are not instantaneously accessible—neither in its content nor in its aesthetic—the viewer often finds it difficult to find a certain connection to these works. The belief that we must have a certain set of skills, a certain knowledge of the artist, their techniques, or references in order to be able to comprehend art and form an opinion on it runs too deep. This is where mediation comes into play and is indispensable in the world of contemporary art.

The goal of art mediation is to build a bridge between the art and the viewer, to bring them to together, and to examine the question, “What does art have to do with us as humans?”. In an analogue manner, art mediators achieve this by directly interacting with their guests: Dialogical tours offer visitors the opportunity to converse with art mediators instead of being made simply to absorb. But how does this apply to a digital space? At the beginning of the Corona pandemic, the internet was flooded with digital tours and workshops, 360° gallery tours, and live talks. All these have in common that the participant is quickly placed in a passive role as a viewer. But art mediation lives and thrives as a dialogue on equal footing, whereby everyone is able to participate by offering their own perspectives and experiences. After all, art mediators are not the only ones allowed to interpret a work.

At the same time, digital mediation has unbelievable potential by allowing art to be easily accessible to a large audience. Most people always have a smart phone with them, allowing them to access digital offers anywhere, anytime, with many of these opportunities costing nothing. Depending on the situation, a preferable format can be chosen that suits an individual’s needs, whether it’s a short text on a piece that can be read while scrolling through Instagram, a Podcast listened to when cooking or riding the train, or a live talk enjoyed at home on the sofa. The easy accessibility of digital mediation formats allow art to become an integral part of our everyday lives. And in ideal circumstances, it makes art more fun to enjoy outside of virtual spaces.