Instagram as an exhibition space: reflections on digital remediation in the time of COVID-19

Lauren O’Hagan

doi:10.1080/09647775.2021.2001362

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper explores the impact of COVID-19 on a planned physical exhibition – Prize Books and Politics: Rethinking Working-Class Life in Edwardian Britain – and the experience of transforming it into a digital exhibition through the platform of Instagram. Using feedback from visitors in the form of likes, comments and surveys, I reflect on the exhibition in terms of its scope, content, visitor experience and overall success. I also outline the various potentials, constraints and opportunities of Instagram as an exhibition space and put forward recommendations on how it can be used to best advantage not as a replacement for physical exhibitions, but rather as a complement that can attract new audiences, capture real-time feedback and, thus, add multiple voices and stories to museum objects.

Highlights

In March 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 led most museums across the world to close their doors as a precautionary measure to mitigate its spread
40% fell into the 51–70 age category, 30% into 31–50 and 30% into 19– 30. Even in this small sample, the fact that the exhibition attracted a large number of visitors from an older demographic was pleasantly surprising, with one 62-year-old woman even stating that she had created an Instagram account just to follow Prize Books and Politics
Despite the small number of respondents, these findings demonstrate the increasingly important role that Instagram and Twitter are playing in promotional messaging and how their functions can be harnessed by museums to generate public interest in events (Suess 2014)

Summary

Introduction

In March 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 led most museums across the world to close their doors as a precautionary measure to mitigate its spread. Even in this small sample, the fact that the exhibition attracted a large number of visitors from an older demographic was pleasantly surprising (considering Instagram’s popularity amongst young users), with one 62-year-old woman even stating that she had created an Instagram account just to follow Prize Books and Politics.

Results

Conclusion