Known for their contemporary art, Tate Modern is one of the most well-known museums and one of the top three tourist attractions in London. Tate modern already has a strong brand that is loved by many and therefore the need to totally reinvent themselves is unnecessary. However, there are multiple smaller innovations that Tate Modern can strengthen that overtime will cause a reinvention and cause it to stand out amongst its peers. As a public body sponsored by the Department for Digital, Cultural, and Media Sports these innovations are meant to be as cost efficient as possible while also being reasonable to implement. Utilizing collaboration and partnerships will also be an important aspect in the new innovations.
One creative way Tate Modern can reinvent themselves is by expanding the museum beyond the walls. An innovative idea that Tate could do is place artworks outside, around London. This would allow people to see Tate’s artwork and artists that they support even without being physically in the museum. Observers would be able to take pictures and interact with artworks. Plaques can be placed beside artworks displaying the title of the artwork, artist, and the fact that the art piece is associated with Tate Modern. Hopefully seeing one piece of art will encourage people to go to the museum itself creating more foot traffic. Having art outside in a different medium allows observers to view artwork through a different lens. As a Metropolitan city, London has dozens of museums and cultural sites. Although among the most popular, Tate must still compete with other museums. Even if visitors don’t have time to go to the physical museum, they can still say that they saw a piece of art from Tate. By having pieces of art around London it sends the message that Tate is intracule part of the city and that their outreach expands beyond the physical museum. In a city, the sense of community can get lost, and Tate has an opportunity to create emotional bonds through the environment. Art can inspire civic pride and bring together diverse groups. A piece of art can become a symbol of the community. Art can transform empty locations like gardens and lots into special places (Kelly 2000). It would be great if Tate places works of art in both popular but also unpopular locations around London to increase the publics ability to view them. Through placing art around the community of London, Tate will be seen as a community developer distinguishing itself even further from its peers.
Digital technology is becoming more advanced and intertwining with our daily lives. This entanglement is starting to reflect within museums and artworks themselves. A major cause of this is younger generations being much more knowledgeable and interactive with technology. In their article “7 things that museums can do to attract younger audiences”, Codex Team, list several strategies that museums can leverage through technology to attract younger audiences and create more modernized museums. One example they give is using podcasts. Rising in popularity, podcasts and audio shows play an important part in outreach programs for museums and cultural institutions. MOMA has utilized podcasts by producing one called “A Piece of Work”, partnered with WNYC Studios. “This podcast makes modern art more approachable through conversations with artists or historians to explain concepts like abstraction and minimalism.” Creating a podcast that people can listen to while doing other things will prove to be very beneficial for Tate. It would allow people to learn about artworks and artists and then see those works in person. If they are not able to go to Tate physically, they’re still able to learn and hopefully one day see them in person. Another example that Codex Team gives is investing in social media management. Younger generations have never known a world without the Internet and spend much of their time on social media. It is important that museums recognize this and innovate outreach strategies to increase interest amongst younger generations. One way of doing this is by creating social media accounts. Tate Modern could create an Instagram account picturing artworks that are currently being displayed. Tate has only so much room to display artworks, this could be a unique opportunity for them to take pictures of artworks that are in their collection but are currently in storage. When posting pictures online they can promote artists by tagging them and allowing people to engage with their profiles. Instagram users of any age can follow, tag, and repost any content that Tate chooses to post. This type of free promotion would be great for the museum and attracts a younger audience.
Partnerships are another way Tate can reinvent themselves and expand their marketing campaign. In her article, “10 Stand-Out Partnerships between Museums and Brands”, Devon Turner, lists several successful museum brand partnerships. One unique partnership is that between AirBnb and the Louvre. Designed as a contest, AirBnb provided one winner with a private night at the Louvre. The private night included a viewing of the Mona Lisa and a tiny glass pyramid room to sleep in near the iconic one. Turner continues to explain that the contest allowed AirBnb to connect with new followers and allowed for the Louvre to receive free publicity. Another partnership was between in the American Museum of Natural History and Etsy, back in 2015. Etsy, an online artisan-supported retailer created a bespoke collection centered around the museum’s art. The partnership was a way of showing that the museum supports smaller individual artisans and wants to give them a platform to connect with a different audience base. Having artists support other artists is a powerful tool that Tate should take advantage of. Tate could try and partner with a bigger well-known brand like AirBnb or opt for a local charity or organization like Etsy. Although brand partnerships between museums aren’t new it would still provide Tate an opportunity to showcase brands that align with their mission and put them on the same level as museums who are currently doing it. Partnering with another art brand such as a clothing company would draw in audiences with similar interests, strengthening Tate’s preexisting audience but if they partner with a brand that has less relations to art like a car company it could draw in a new subset of people Tate would not have otherwise been able to reach. `
A way that Tate can combine social media platforms, partnerships, and connecting with younger generations is by partnering with social media influencers. Any social media app like Instagram or Twitter would be useful but the app the comes to mind is TikTok. Known for their short form mobile videos, TikTok is used by much of the younger generations. Tate already has a TikTok with a good size following. However, it would be great to see them partnering with younger influencers that have even bigger followings to expand outreach. Influencers already partner with clothing, makeup, food, and many other brands but not many partner with museums. If Tate were to get even one well-known TikToker to create a video in the museum, it would be an innovative idea for both Tate and the influencer. One thing TikTok is known for is how easy it is for videos to go viral and reach a wide variety of people. Having an influencer create a video would ensure it would go viral and spark conversations about the museums and its exhibits. This would also allow smaller artists to have a chance to be recognized and supported by another artist. With influencers having millions of followers, they set a premise for what is “cool”. If they can use their platform to support other artist and exhibits, important conversations can be held about art and what it represents.
In his book, Measuring Museum Impact and Performance: Theory and Practice, John W Jacobsen discusses how a museums intentional purposes and desired impacts affect audiences’ experiences while also discussing how audiences can benefit the most. Based on the community needs and aspirations a museums purposes and impact may look different. By asking the question, “How can museums most benefit its audience in the most effective and efficient way?”, museums can create new services to fulfill these needs (Jacobsen 2016). One way Tate can benefit its audience is through engagement. Looking at the Tate’s, about us page, on their website, their mission is to “increase the public’s enjoyment and understanding of British art from the 16th century to the present day and of international modern and contemporary art”. Some key areas that they focus on include race equality through the promotion of dignity and respect, the use of partnerships and projects to increase audience engagement, and conservation science to promote international collaboration. A way that Tate can reinvent themselves and strength their intentional purposes and desired impact is to add thought provoking questions to artworks. These question cards can be hung on the wall underneath the art labels. People may stand in front of a piece of art and look at it but then quickly move on to the next piece. By having questions connected to the art it will give audiences a chance to debate and discuss the works more in depth, creating more engagement. Questions do not have to be intricate or technical but simply spark thinking, imagination, and creativity. Tate could create these questions that directly tie into their mission statement, or the artist can create them, allowing the artist to put even more of themselves into the art. For example, Sandra Blow’s Vivace is a part of Tate’s collections. Blow is known for her abstract collages created from discarded materials and had a large impact on the British abstract movement of the 1950’s. Questions that Tate can create could connect to the abstract movement such as “How do you think the abstract movement of the 1950’s impacts todays art?” or a question could focus on the materials being used such as “How can more artist incorporate recycled materials into their art?”. Questions should not be too complex and be able to reach a wide audience. By increasing engagement, it will allow audiences to better comprehend artworks and artists and leave the museum with more insight into Tate’s mission.
Both music and art evoke an emotional response in audiences. They can trigger memories and change moods and based on this people may find different meaning in art. When we listen to music, we also take them in on a visual level as well. When combining art and music they simulate the listening and viewing experience causing new interpretations from the audience. Many famous artists already take advantage of this like The Rolling Stones using the art of Andy Warhol has their album cover. “When you envision your favorite song, you don’t just hear its melody or think of the most impactful lyrics. You also see its album or track art, or maybe even a clip from its music video” (Castles 2022). Pairing music with art pieces would be an interesting experience for Tate’s audience. If a painting is trying to convey a feeling of sadness, try pairing it with a song about heartbreak or go in the completely opposite direction, and pair it with an uplifting song and see what the different responses are. Similar to adding thought provoking questions, Tate themselves could pair songs to art pieces, or the artist can do it themselves. Since many people already use digital technology when interacting with art, incorporating music would be a useful tool. Tate could Partner with Spotify or Apple music to create a playlist. A certain song would pair with a certain piece of art. Another option would be to create a playlist within Tate’s mobile app. Having an abstract piece of art in front of you maybe be a bit daunting for some audiences who do not know a lot about the technicality of art but come to museums for the experience. Having songs that are more known to the public could help make art more welcoming. It is also just a fun experience. This also opens the door for collaborations with musical artist. Tate is a well-known museum and can attract popular singers. If an artist were to create a song specially for a piece of art and launch it in collaboration with Tate that would be very appealing to fans of both genres. Even if Tate just promoted the idea of listening to one’s own music while viewing the art, it would still change the audiences experience and add to Tate’s complexity as a museum.
During this past break, I had the opportunity to go to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. For about twenty minutes while I was walking around, I listen to Taylor Swifts new album, Midnights. At first it was a little strange viewing pieces of work from centuries ago while listening to a pop album that had come out just a few weeks ago, but the experience was unique. Her music changed how I viewed the art but also what I was picturing when I listened to her lyrics. Since its opening in May 2000, Tate Modern has become a part of London itself. Through innovations, Tate can reinvent itself making it an even bigger London attraction. Using social media, partnerships, digital technology, music, and the London environment Tate will be able to expand its outreach and promote its mission.
Bibliography
Castles, Lena. “Connection between Art and Music.” Robert Lyn Nelson, April 26, 2022. https://robertlynnelson.com/connection-between-art-and-music/.
John W. Jacobsen. Measuring Museum Impact and Performance : Theory and Practice. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2016. https://search-ebscohost-com.libezproxy2.syr.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=1173599&site=ehost-live.
Kelly, Donald C. “Arts Build Community.” Shelterforce, October 11, 2019. https://shelterforce.org/2000/01/01/arts-build-community/.
Richardson, Jim. “10 Stand-out Partnerships between Museums and Brands.” MuseumNext, April 15, 2021. https://www.museumnext.com/article/partnerships-between-museums-and-brands/.
Team, Codex. “7 Things That Museums Can Do to Attract Younger Audiences.” Custom Codex. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://customcodex.com/blog/codex/museums-attract-younger-audiences.
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