Painters, sculptors, singers, dancers, filmmakers … regardless of their artistic discipline, all cultural actors have suffered severely from the consequences of the Coronavirus. Recreational activities closed without warning and ambiguously stifling the revitalization of these sectors. Museums, which are an essential part of Spain’s cultural heritage, have seen their golden age come to an end in 2020.
The records for 2018 and 2019 have been encouraging. Attendance numbers showed a significant upward trend; However, the virus shook the world and Spain was one of the countries most affected in the European arena in terms of health. According to the annual report of the British media The Art Newspaper, The total number of museum visits decreased by 77% in 2020.
Example Spanish museums to follow
Adapting to the new normal for Spain’s major exhibition halls is a reference for the rest of Europe. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and Museo Nacional del Prado were ranked 6th and 16th by number of visits for this year respectively. The two centers experienced decreases of 72% and 74%, although their policy of focusing on opening under strict sanitation measures raised their place in the overall ranking of museums with the highest attendance. Reina Sophia climbed six degrees, while Prado was entered among the twenty most frequented. The key, open more days than the rest.
The Louvre in Paris, the most visited museum in the world, was closed due to the pandemic for 150 days, compared to 80 and 85 days for the main Spanish exponents. In other words, the Louvre has remained open for nearly twice as many days as our cultural institutions. The difference with other symbolic buildings in the art world found in the United Kingdom or the United States is more significant.
The Tate Modern in London, the third on the list and considered by many to be the most important museum of modern art in the world, was closed for 173 days, nearly six months. Its neighbor, the British Museum, one of the most famous cultural places in the world, has exceeded the 200 time range and accumulated a total of 208 unopened days. The accomplishment of this distinguished activity resulted in: Overtaking From Reina Sofía to important collections like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery in London or the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.
All of the aforementioned cultural centers remained closed more than any of the Spanish museums, be it Reina Sofia, Prado or Thyssen-Bornemisza, which ranks 62nd for visitors in the world rankings. No other museum site in Europe has been open more days than the Spaniard.
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