How art is living beyond the global lockdown 

While Namibian artists from all disciplines have not taken advantage of digital platforms, recent developments around the world have made it clear that digital is the way to go. 

Around the world, artists and art collectors have embraced the digital age with museums curating collections on a virtual space to musicians prioritizing online sales to physical distribution which has been dwindling since … 

In Switzerland, the Museum of Digital Art opened in 2005 becoming the first museum that displayed art primarily in a virtual space. Other museums have since added digital technology to exhibits, a move that has opened up the world of art to wider audiences.

While Namibia has joined the world is going on mandatory lockdown to curb the spread of Coronavirus, it’s become clear that art can no longer be bound to the physical realm alone. 

StArt Art Gallery has been ahead of the curve by going fully digital in 2018. The gallery allows international art collectors to access Namibian art even without necessarily visiting Namibia (a great opportunity especially at a time when tourism has come to a halt). It also allows busy Namibians who don’t have time to stroll through gallery halls to access art at the click of a button. 

Around the world, the arts have experienced a huge shift because of COVID-19.

In London, The Hampstead Theatre put some of its plays online, starting with its 2016 staging of Mike Bartlett’s Wild while the Royal Academy of Dance has uploaded some of it’s older dance class recordings online in an effort to help older people reignite their passion for dance (bbc.com). A New York-based artist has been drawing some of the most popular restaurants in the city and with 24 000  restaurants closing because of the Coronavirus, he donated 50% of the proceeds of sales from his latest drawing to help support laid off restaurant staff and owners.

This pandemic has shown that art continues to play a great role in unifying societies and that long after COVID-19 is gone, art will continue to live on.