- Gallery art director advocates for strict measures against COVID-19.
During the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the management of art galleries and museums has been underappropriately handled and discussed, according to Jörg-Uwe Neumann, the director of Rostock's Kunsthalle. Neumann stated, talking to the German Press Agency, "The COVID-19 outbreak brought a lot of pain and suffering, and the way museums and art were handled added to that misery." Museums were some of the first establishments to be shut down and among the last to reopen, symbolizing a questionable political stance. It's crucial to understand why such choices were made and how they were justified.
Neumann, who has been the Kunsthalle's director since 2009, pointed out the inconsistent enforcement of rules. "A popular hardware store can have more visitors in a day than the Kunsthalle sees in a month, yet hardware stores were kept open. That was a hard pill to swallow for me," he said. Museums had the capacity to implement social distancing measures and require face masks, given their spacious interiors. "We have a restaurant in our building. I could have reopened that, but not the museum. It was ludicrous," recalled Neumann, at 63 years old.
Analyzing and processing the situation isn't about having all the answers. At the time, everything was new to everyone. "But we should ask ourselves: Why did museums have to be closed for such an extended period?" Only if the reasoning is clear can it be understood in retrospect. If it's impossible to grasp, then appropriate steps must be taken to avoid making similar mistakes in future situations.
The German Press Agency reported Neumann's concerns about the inconsistent closure and reopening of museums during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neumann, in his interview with The German Press Agency, highlighted the contrast between the Opera House's operations and that of museums, stating, "The opera house was allowed to operate at 50% capacity, while we had to remain closed."
