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a30 people & arts
Wednesday 20 May 2020
U.N. agency warns pandemic could kill 1 in 8 museums worldwide

By RAF CASERT ums and one special ex-
Associated Press hibit that reopened had
BRUSSELS (AP) — Museums 10,000 visitors over the past
are starting to reopen in week - about 43% of last
some countries as govern- year's level for the same
ments ease coronavirus re- week. Visitors need to buy
strictions, but experts warn tickets for a particular time
one in eight worldwide slot, which limits the num-
could face permanent clo- ber of visitors.
sure due to the pandemic. In Italy, one-time epicenter
Studies by UNESCO and of the pandemic in Europe,
the International Council of the Villa Borghese and the
Museums show 90% of the Capitoline museums, both
planet's museums, some home to Caravaggio paint-
85,000 institutions, have ings and Bernini sculptures,
had to shut at least tempo- reopened on Tuesday.
rarily. There's still no reopening
"It is alarming data that we date set for Italy's biggest
are giving," Ernesto Ottone, cultural draws, including
Assistant Director General the Uffizi in Florence and
for Culture at UNESCO said the Vatican Museums or
in an interview with the As- the Colosseum in Rome.
sociated Press Tuesday. The same goes for France.
He said the problem cuts Visitors wearing face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19, look at 'The Boy with Thorn" a first Big hitters, such as the Lou-
across the board, affect- century B.C. bronze statue in the Rome's Capitoline Museums, Tuesday, May 19, 2020. vre – the world's most vis-
Associated Press
ing museums big and small, ited museum — and the
new and established, fea- as many of the works were 80 percent, that can reach now lining up to boost their Pompidou Center remain
turing art or science. on loan and had to be re- hundreds of thousands of cultural institutions. shuttered after an easing
Museums that indicated turned. In Rome, a similar euros (dollars) a week. "We have to show our sup- of restrictions May 11.
they might well not reopen, supershow on Renaissance Places like the Stedelijk and port at the maximum level Greece reopened its an-
he said, "have been closed artist Raphael had to close Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, to this sector by coming cient sites — including the
for months and they have after just three days, but or the Kunsthistorisches in here, to show that they are Acropolis — Monday, and
no revenues. And they was able to hold on to all Vienna, could lose up to open again and that peo- set a June 15 date for mu-
don't know how they're go- 120 works and will now 2.5 million euros ($2.75 mil- ple can come back here seums.
ing to get their revenues." reopen June 2 through lion) a month. in complete safety, but Overall, the situation re-
And once they do reopen, Aug. 30. Overall, the pic- Ottone said matters were also by taking measures mains dire amid uncertain-
Ottone said, "they (won't) ture is dark, more Munch particularly tough in Latin and decisions ... to support ty over when tourism, a life-
have the capacity to up- than Monet. "Nearly 13% America, "where 99.4% of them," Belgian Prime Minis- line for most museums, will
date their infrastructure" of museums around the all museums are closed ter Sophie Wilmes said Tues- resume.
to conform with social dis- world may never reopen," right now." day, touring the re-opened "It's (going to) be a very,
tancing and other pan- UNESCO and ICOM said in "So you have a continent Bozar Center for Fine Arts very difficult year," said
demic precautions. a joint statement, saying that doesn't have anything in Brussels. King Philippe of Pierre Coulon, Operation
Some costly blockbuster those in poorer countries open," Ottone said. "It's the Belgium and Queen Mathil- Director for Public Affairs of
shows have suffered heavy faced a greater risk. first time in our history and de visited the nearby Royal the Royal Belgian Institute
damage this spring. A Things are pretty bleak in it will be very difficult to Museums of Fine Arts, wear- of Natural Sciences Mu-
once-in-a-lifetime exhibit wealthy countries too. come out from this crisis for ing protective masks. seum. "And we don't know
bringing together fragile The Network of European those institutions." Across Europe, such re- exactly how long it will last
paintings by Flemish master Museum Organizations said It is little wonder that roy- openings provide some and when we will recuper-
Jan van Eyck had barely large institutions in tourist alty and prime ministers are hope. In Berlin, four muse- ate a normal income."q
opened in Ghent, Belgium, hotspots like Paris, Amster-
when it was abruptly can- dam or Vienna have suf-
celed. It won't be resumed, fered income losses of up to

Belgium’s King Philippe, center right, and Belgium’s Queen
Mathilde, center left, wear face masks, to prevent the spread
of coronavirus, as they visit the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in A boy walks by a model of a dinosaur wearing a face mask, during a partial lockdown to prevent
Brussels, Tuesday, May 19, 2020. the spread of the coronavirus, at the Museum of Natural History in Brussels, Tuesday, May 19, 2020.
Associated Press Associated Press