news.artnet.com: In the Louvre, the Mona Lisa is flanked by guards who usually help keep the crowds moving through the packed Salle des États. But after staff forced the Paris museum to close Sunday amid safety concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, their routine has changed. Now, the guards stand still, and visitors are left to figure out their own flow through the gallery.
8 comments:
There’s several good things and several concerning things in this article. First of all, I do think it’s important for places of significant people traffic to be taking precaution against this rapidly spreading virus, especially with Europe being so easy to travel from country to country, and Italy being literally next door. I’m glad that the museum is staying open, especially if people have saved up money for years to go to Paris on vacation and want to see the art, just to be inconveniently met with this virus. I think it’s kinda dumb that the guards are “equipped” with hand sanitizer, because hand sanitizer is antibacterial and not antiviral, but I guess it can help with general germs. Other weird things, the language behind “inviting” people to stay away—It’s bad wording, trying to be friendly but is just weird. I think it’s also unrealistic to ask guests at museums in N. Italy to stay 3 feet apart—I know its a general guideline to follow, but it’s still a weird request.
I understand that the Louvre is a popular attraction, but I think that investing so much effort into calculating the amount of time people are going to stand in front of the Mona Lisa is just a little extreme. Actually, I am pretty positive that guards already regulate the amount of time one should spend at the Mona Lisa because when I was there over the summer, I felt compelled to walk away after a reasonable amount of time. I do not remember if I felt that way because of a guard, the natural flow of the crowd (which existed prior to a global epidemic), or the fact that the Mona Lisa is super small and there’s only so long you can stand in front of it before you feel satisfied. Also, there is a sheet of glass over it that protects it from random acts of stupidity (thanks, man with can of acid). With that glass comes a glare that makes it hard to really analyze the piece anyway, which is another reason why many people in the crowd do not stand there for a nerve-wracking amount of time. I know this sounds kind of negative, and I feel like most of my comments this week are going to address this virus, but I feel like the panic is a little extreme.
This is really starting to feel serious. While it may seem trivial that one cannot enjoy a museum as easily, it can be difficult to hear if one has planned a whole trip around sightseeing. I'm thinking about this right now with spring break, and wanting to stay away from overly crowded areas. Music and other arts festivals are continuing to be cancelled, and concerts in high risk areas of the world. Part of me doesn't know if this fear should stop me from living and going out, especially if it is not widespread in the area so far. When I went to Italy a few summers ago, I remember almost every art attraction being absolutely packed. My family and I went anyway because we were in Italy, which I'm sure is the mindset of tourists who continue to go right now. Ultimately, these early measures of protection feel very necessary because the situation in densely packed areas could escalate quickly.
This does sound like it's going to turn into a messy situation without the help of the security guards controlling the crowd. People are going to stand around for much longer than they should so that they can get closer to the front, causing traffic issues. I know that museum officials are hoping that with the spread of the virus, people may be more inclined to keep some distance between them and others, and not hang around, but that's not going to happen. Lots of people do not care or are willing to risk it. Especially if no one seems to be sick around them or if they have their hand sanitizers. I'm also sure that if things do get out of hand, there are security measures put into place as to how to control the crowd without having to put the guards at risk. I'm interested to see how this will all play out. Maybe if someone lets out a cough, everyone will scatter and the space will be clear for another flow of people...
This article was maybe the fourth or so article I scrolled past about the coronavirus. Everyone from museums to movies is taking precautions against the virus, which is understandable. While I have never been to France or the Louvre, I do not know if stationary guards are exactly necessary because there is always and has always been a natural flow of crowds in any sightseeing space, so I do not think the space in front of the Mona Lisa will be much different now than how it usually is. I suppose one can never be too careful though, especially in a time of paranoia like this. In response to Natalie's comment, even though hand sanitizer is antibacterial, it breaks down lipids that envelope Covid-19 just like soaps do, which releases the virus from its protective coating. I could be mistaken though, so feel free to check me on that.
The effect that the spread of the corona virus has had on the entertainment business has been huge, given the number of events that have cancelled across the world in order to help prevent the spread of this disease.
However, what I believe never really hit me that museums galleries, walk throughs etc. are also subject to trying to help stop the spread the of this disease, because these places and the events that they hold entail the presence of so many people that it is understandable that people and organizers are wary of this situation popping up.
But it does come as a genuine surprise to me that a lot of this time is being put in order to mediate the time people spend in front of the Mona Lisa, having security guards carrying hand sanitizers, which is their method of trying to help against the disease but I do not necessarily know as to how effective this proposed solution would be.
I still can not believe what an impact the coronavirus has had on our world. It seems like it is impossible to not think about it. Even just looking for articles to comment on, it seems like almost everything has to do with the corona virus right now. It is really wonderful that the Louvre is taking precautions to keep people safe though. I think it is great that they are trying to stay open so that people can still enjoy the art especially during such a difficult time. I can not believe how many places and events have been canceled because of this virus. It feels like the whole world is shutting down. We may as well be living in some kind of disaster movie. I think it’s nice that the guards are handing out hand sanitizer to patrons. However washing hands is definitely more effective than using hands sanitizer.
This is the third article I’m reading this week about the coronavirus...the impact of coronavirus on our world is shocking and unbelievable. It is encouraging to see that the Louvre is being proactive about keeping people healthy and want to prevent the spread of the disease. While I think the measures that they are putting in place are good ideas, I still think they should shut down the museum or significantly limit entry through reservations or something. Setting up extra hand washing stations will still allow the transmission of the virus as long as someone infected is close to other people. Also, shutting down the museum would demotivate people to travel. There are seriously people “taking advantage” of this pandemic and booking cheap tickets to other places right now. While I get why this is a good deal, don’t put yourself at risk AND OTHER PEOPLE AT RISK. It’s morally irresponsible to travel right now if it's not necessary. If shutting things down is the way to promote self-isolation/quarantine, then so be it.
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