The Cleveland Museum Studied How to Best Engage Visitors in the Age of Netflix. Here’s What They Found | Art World - artnet News

ARTLENS, the CMA's interactive gallery, is a leader in the field, inform Taylor Dafoe, Author at artnet News

A CMA visitor using the ARTLENS Wall.
Photo: courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

In the ongoing quest to stay relevant in a world dominated by digital natives, just about every major museum has rolled out some form of interactive technology within its program. We’ve seen numerous apps, playful touchscreens, and VR-aided exhibitions. Some museums are even replacing their docents with robots. One, Florida’s Salvador Dali Museum, brought its namesake back to life using AI.

The Cleveland Museum of Art’s initiative, an interactive three-room experience (and app) called the ARTLENS Gallery, is one of the more comprehensive projects in the museum-tech sphere. It offers the opportunity for visitors to virtually explore artworks up close, create their own digital compositions, and learn about the museum’s collection by taking pictures with their phones.
But is ARTLENS actually successful in increasing audience engagement, or is it just a gimmick? The museum was curious to find out.

Last week, the CMA released the findings of a two-year study looking into whether or not digital technology increases visitor engagement...

Perhaps the most interesting figure had to do with millennials, an elusive demographic whose attention—and money—has long been coveted by institutions.

“We’re not competing with other museums. We’re competing with Netflix,” says Jane Alexander, the museum’s chief digital officer. “You can be six years or 80 years old, you can have an art history degree or not—we want people to realize there’s something here for everyone.”
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Source: artnet News