Sociable Museums

Two days ago the always interesting blog "El Blog del Guerrero" by Centro José Guerrero in Granada (Spain,) published an article on Artforum Video, the new section of Artforum compiling a selection of videos available on the social web. Although the initiative could present some issues on artists' permissions and I agree on, "some kind of permissions disclaimer should appear on ArtForum, since the authority of their site’s curation outweighs its source;" I consider it a good understanding of the benefits social web can provide to the art world. In fact, during the past months at lamusediffuse we have being doing something similar.

lamusediffuseTV is a group of YouTube Playlists on relevant topics of museums. From specific areas of the world to common topics, lamusediffuseTV tries to present a curated vision of museums at YouTube. We encourage you watching them and sharing with us your reactions and any other video you considered interesting to add at lamusediffuse's channel. Maybe, if you are planning any visit during this summertime you should check first our lamusediffuseTV - Queues at Museums. Discouraging, but soooooooo real...

(See the video in the post above. Only in Spanish)

I just ran across this video titled “Llévame al museo, papi” (Take me to the Museum, Dad,) relating to the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA) in Spain. Far to homage the institution, this video criticizes “the absorption of the art world and the virtually zero impact of museums on citizens’ daily life.” This is done by mixing flamenco and reggaeton in the very dubious taste of some current massive consumption video-clips.

The author of this mishmash is the artist currently living in Barcelona, Guillermo Trujillano, who produced it in 2006 for the program "hempreslaradio.net." Trujillano's concerns connect in some way to Sociable Museums' interest about the impact of Social Software on Art Museums. With this work, the artist seems to be asking why bigger audiences relate these cheesy musical groups, and on the other hand, why art museums use to remain very far to this achievement. Are not museums containing enough significance and quality samples to also engage big audiences?

We all know that is difficult to make art museums part of common daily life. The question here is if Trujillano's video is solving something about this or it is just stressing even more the boundaries between art museums and daily life. Furthermore, should it be the goal of art museums becoming part of peoples' daily life and engaging ‘big audiences’?

Although “Llévame al museo, papi” is more elaborated and technically better than most of the videos available in the Social Software, I personally prefer less self-conscious responses. However, thanks to posting it in YouTube I have been able to learn about it and posting it in this blog to continue the debate started by Trujillano.

Now it is time to experience this hilarious point of view on MACBA, and why not, enjoying some of its details. Our favorite part begins at the minute 2:30, with the group of flamenco dancers in the street and when the singer says,

Yo aquí cantando en la calle (Me here singing in the street)
tu aquí bailando en la calle (you here dancing in the street)
y los museos vacíos (and museums are empty)
no hay quien gestione mi arte (nobody to manage my art)

Ole!