MARCO ON

About the practice

The MARCO has a singularity that is not common in museums: it combines communication functions with the coordination of the educational program in the same department. In this way, the museum has been reflecting for some time on the need to reinforce digital tools in its offers.

Story behind

The MARCO has a singularity that is not common in museums: it combines communication functions with the coordination of the educational program in the same department. In this way, the museum has been reflecting for some time on the need to reinforce digital tools in its offers. This is MARCO ON and it was before the situation caused by Covid-19 in 2020. However, the events that occurred that year forced the museum to convert a series of face-to-face activities into a digital format. From then on they conceived the MARCO ON label as a space to insert other activities.

About the institution

The Museum of Contemporary Art of Vigo is a contemporary art museum inaugurated on November 13, 2002 in the city of Vigo, Galicia, Spain. The museum occupies a panoptic building restored in 1995, located in the heart of the city and which was previously used as a Palace of Justice and a prison.

Context

The pandemic situation was the origin of this initiative, but now it continues. The inaugural date was May 18, 2020 and the period of confinement, but there were other important dates like at the end of 2020 and that continued in 2021.

In addition to problems arising from the pandemic, the MARCO ON initiative also responds to the needs of many people who are unable to move from their homes: due to mobility problems or living in areas more or less isolated where accessibility to culture is difficult.

It was not easy because in the field of culture, and particularly in museums, direct contact, face-to-face activity is fundamental. Despite the experiences that the new technologies can contribute with, presence and social contact is essential. In the brief reunion that could take place this year, it was found that people were looking forward to having that human interaction again.

“The pandemic brought with it many positive things in relation to the use of new technologies, but it also generated some abuse of remote tools. At this time we perceive that our public demands more face-to-face activities.”

Location

Vigo, Galicia (Spain)

Success factors

The factors that made the good practice effective are:

The opinions of users and when you see that
The tool is not only useful for the moment, but has a vocation for continuity, a projection for the future, for example: virtual visits.
Being able to access all the material created for each one of the exhibitions when you watch them online, even though it is not in the museum, is a great opportunity for continuity.

Target audience

Depending on the activity, some went to different groups: the general public, people registered in the different activities, children and families.

Sustainability

The project is sustainable because it is about taking advantage of existing resources. It does not imply a waste of unnecessary resources. In addition, it is inspired and directed by society, by the recipients themselves.

Digital tools

The digital tools were chosen due to accessibility and viability within two resources that MARCO had: Vimeo and the App.

These tools were: Youtube, Vimeo, Zoom, Facebook and Vigo App.

Funding

The initiatives were implemented with the usual economic contributions allocated to the MARCO. Except for the App Vigo tool, in which they are beneficiaries of the funds of the tool itself, they did not have external or extra financing.

MARCO ON is not a high-budget project, when it is not very large, many things can be done, having people with skills would be enough

Organization/ Institution
MARCO Vigo
Good practice link
https://www.marcovigo.com/gl/
Address
Vigo, Galicia (Spain)
Contact person on good practice
Marta Viana Tomé,
Head of Communication and Didactics at MARCO de Vigo
comunicacion@marcovigo.com