新冠疫情下的博物馆:困境与对策

Museums in Time of COVID-19: Challenge and Response

目前依然在全球肆虐的新冠疫情深刻影响着博物馆的当下与未来。纵观欧美各大博物馆,短期来看,疫情导致的闭馆直接引发了系列财务、减员等问题,而包括系统性歧视的平权运动在内的各类全新的社会议题同样亟待博物馆关注;长期来看,在疫情这场"持久战"面前,博物馆面临着应急、恢复、提升等三方面困境,以及将困境转变为机遇的挑战。为此,加拿大皇家安大略博物馆等博物馆及时提出了"双轨制"等应对策略,继续秉持博物馆"以观众为中心"的使命,避免博物馆萎缩衰退,从而为人类社会发展发挥更积极的作用。

The current COVID-19 pandemic has placed a profound impact on the present and future of museums.In the short run,the closure of has caused a series of direct consequences such as financial challenges and staff cuts.Recently addressed social issues such as the racial justice movement and systemic discrimination call for museums’urgent attention as well.In the long run,as fighting this pandemic is to be a"protracted war",museums are facing challenges in three levels:mitigation,recovery,and evolution.Meanwhile,museums are also challenged to turn the crisis into opportunities.Responding to these challenges,the leading museums in Europe and North America have taken immediate countermeasures—for example,the Royal Ontario Museum(ROM)of Canada has issued the"two-track strategy"to continue to strengthen the museum’s"audience-centered"mission—with the aim to prevent museums from declining,and play a more active role in the development of human society.