ON SOURCE: WORLD CITIES CULTURE FORUM
Seoul Robot & AI Museum (RAIM), Image courtesy of Melike Altinisik Architects
INNOVATIVE MUSEUMS SET TO OPEN GLOBALLY IN 2024
THE POST-PANDEMIC REVIVAL IN MUSEUM VISITS WILL BE SUPPORTED BY THE ARRIVAL OF EXCITING NEW GLOBAL MUSEUMS IN 2024
The pandemic left many museums worldwide fighting for survival, with world cities reporting a 48% average fall in museum attendance from 2019 – 2022 (Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022).
Nevertheless, 2023 saw museum visitor figures springing back to pre-pandemic levels. The National Portrait Gallery in London reopened in 2023 following a three-year capital project, welcoming more than 600,000 visitors, up 30% from 2019. Meanwhile 28% of U.S. adults visited a museum in 2023, similar to pre-pandemic levels (25-31%) (Source: American Alliance of Museums).
This trend is set to continue in 2024, with a range of innovative and exciting new museums opening in cities across the world.
Seoul will welcome a new Robot & AI Museum in Autumn 2024. Designed by Melike Altinisik Architects, the orb-shaped museum is being built with the help of robots and drones and will showcase the potential of this new era of artificial intelligence. The museum will engage visitors through workshops and displays exploring how robots are becoming increasingly common in our daily lives.
In New York City, a new Museum of Art and Technology (MOAT) will open in February at 21 Dey Street. The brainchild of interactive artist Roy Nachum and real estate developer Michael Cayre, the museum will house a retail concept store and fifteen immersive experiences using state-of-the-art technology. It is touted to become New York’s equivalent of a ‘Museum of the Future’, highlighting the city’s role in creative tech innovation.
The world’s first dedicated museum for homelessness will open in London. Run by people with direct experience of homelessness, the Museum will hold the UK national collection for homelessness, preserving and sharing histories of displacement, poverty and social action. The museum’s founders seek to influence policymakers and bring about necessary change by carrying out independent investigations and campaigns to fight homelessness.
The UAE’s Zayed National Museum, celebrating Emirati culture, archaeology and history, will open its doors in Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Cultural District. Built in honour of the country’s founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the museum’s architecture evokes the wing tips of the falcon, a national symbol and emblem of UAE heritage. Abu Dhabi’s culture department hopes that the museum will become a global meeting place for the exchange of ideas and cultures.
Bengaluru will construct a new Museum of Innovation & Technology in 2024, an innovative public private partnership, which will honour India’s tech pioneers. The museum will chart the city’s transformation into India’s tech capital and a vibrant centre for start-ups.
ON SOURCE: WORLD CITIES CULTURE FORUM