I recently went to the Met, after not going to a museum since March. This was the longest time I’ve gone without going to a museum. I felt very strong good vibes during my visit and it got me wondering about why people go to museums at all. I wrote this piece with art museums in mind, but it generalizes.
Consider it from an alien’s perspective. The idea that people go to a building to look at art they could more easily see on Google Images is strange.
What features of museums make them worth visiting?
Setting
The museum’s setting allows you to be fully in the moment with the artwork. Curators are dedicated to ensuring you have the perfect viewing experience. They place artworks near each other with intent. The lighting, walls, shape of the room are directed so as to allow you to interface with the art. You can discover new works of art nearby and find new interpretations through being there. The Met puts effort into recreating the atmosphere of the period in which the artwork was created, such as including a whole temple.
Vibe
The vibe of a museum results from the intent to view art. This is fundamentally different from opening a new tab and googling “art”. There are the people around you who are also focusing on appreciating art. This is like a lecture hall, which through imitation allows you to feed off of others’ focus.
Having many beautiful things in one small area
The principle of Gestalt is real. Gestalt is a word describing how something is more than the sum of its parts. Having many beautiful pieces of art close to each other means they can be more effective than individually.
Seeing the artwork in the original
Since the art in the museum is considered valuable you gain more enjoyment out of viewing it. Looking at reproductions of artwork isn’t as enjoyable as seeing the originals. I would like to say this point isn’t true for me, but it probably is. I would assume it’s true for everyone.
A magical ability to imbue you with knowledge
Generally, I don’t believe in the concept of transmissionism i.e. that seeing something means you’ve learned it. Going to a museum sparks interest, motivation to learn about it, or engages your subconscious in generating thought. After leaving a museum my head is buzzing with new ideas. My unfounded theory about this - engaging your conscious mind in viewing beautiful objects is an invitation for your subconscious to take over. The emotions and thoughts you get are coming from your subconscious.
The real reasons why I do things are difficult to determine. The real reasons why humans do things are even harder to discern. I wish I could figure out which aspect of museum going that I enjoy the most so I could distill it and include it in my life more often.
