For many people, museums are boring, incomprehensible and tedious. It is necessary to wander silently through the halls, to stare at the exhibits, trying to unravel the artist's ingenious plan, to suffer pain in the legs and back. But if you want to learn to enjoy art, forget about how you used to behave in a museum and start experimenting. We have collected several ideas and advice, which will help to rediscover this world. The most important thing is to listen to yourself and choose something that brings pleasure.
1. Talk to people.
Usually we are silent in the museum, even if we are not alone. And in vain! Whatever emotions or questions neither caused the work, it is easier to express them in a dialogue. You can talk not only with friend, but also with a stranger who stands nearby and looks at the same picture. Maybe he knows more about her than you, and will be able to share interesting facts and stories, and maybe just as trying to understand what is its secret - and then you have that to discuss. You can talk to the caretakers. Just imagine: they spend in these halls for years and almost no one asks about anything. Ask the caretakers any question, which came to your mind, or just ask to tell about the most beloved exhibit.
2. Do not try to examine everything at once.
One of the biggest mistakes that almost everyone is making is trying to examine everything halls at a time. "Consider that the museum is a menu, not a list of cases," advises Johan Idema, author of the book "How to go to museums." Even if you genuinely like the exposure, through a few hours you will begin to feel what is called "museum fatigue": the brain is simply will not be able to process as much information at once, legs will begin to ache, retain concentration will be more difficult. As a result, you will leave the museum broken and hardly want to return to soon. You can go to museums in your city every month: the ticket is usually costs not more than a cup of coffee, besides, in many museums there are days with free entrance. But even if you travel and are not sure that someday you will return, you can learn in advance or ask the museum staff what is considered the pearl of his collection, in which halls are worth a look first.
3. Ask yourself questions and listen to the sensations.
Stop at any artifact that has attracted your attention, and start asking yourself questions. What exactly interested you - size, colors, shape, plot, material? If something seemed to you ugly, terrible, provocative, do not avoid it, art does not necessarily have to cause only admiration. What's bothering you, frightens, angers? What causes delight? Going to the museum can tell you a lot about yourself itself.
4. Go to the museum with your child.
Sometimes the best interlocutors are young children. They always have an opinion about what a job is, and they do not hesitate to ask simple and
unexpected questions. Try to take the child, for example, to an exhibition of abstractionists, and you will probably be surprised by the result.
5. Prepare to visit the museum in advance.
Try to immerse yourself in the context. You can read about a particular museum or an exhibit (for example, about the Pushkin Museum) or about an entire epoch (here is an interesting lecture about modern Art). Want to understand what art is in general, or to study its history? Read the "History of Art" by Ernst Hombrich - this is a voluminous book, but written simply and interestingly, Hombrich will explain and tell you a lot, but not will require no special knowledge - only interest in the subject.
6. Take advantage of what the museum offers.
Alas, most museums care about works of art more than about visitors. But
still they can help something. If you are offered a free audio guide, for no reason refuse (and some museums also have audio tours that can be pre-arranged install on your smartphone). Take the materials that usually lie at the entrance - booklets, brief guides, even leaflets with a minimum of information. All this may come in handy during your visit. Next to the paintings and at the entrance to the hall, there are usually tablets with the name exhibition / work and commentary. Yes, they are almost always written on a creepy, unreadable art slang using terminology and heavy syntactic constructions. Not feel like an uneducated fool, this is really a specific language, capable of confusing anyone. Try to retell what you read, snatch individual words, facts and ideas.
7. Give yourself time to get acquainted with the work.
According to statistics, visitors to the Louvre on average spend at the "Mona Lisa" 15 seconds: it is unlikely that can suffice on that really to make out a picture. During this time, the viewer usually time to pay attention only to the plot or its absence. And you try consider the colors and their combination, pay attention to the proportions and repetitive motives. Have you ever heard of this artist? What exactly? Do you know what kind of is the story behind the work, or do you have any own guesses? May be, do you want to change something in this work? How would you her describe ? You can record your thoughts and questions you have and think about them for a while or look answers in books, lectures or on the Internet.
8. Go to the events that are arranged by the museum.
Take part in the events that are arranged by the museum. For example, the Hermitage has lectures, meetings and concerts, and in the Tretyakov Gallery also cinema shows.
9. Do not ignore the museum store and cafe.
You can go to the store before visiting the exhibition, and after. It is here that you will find books about art and catalogs. Consider them right in the store or buy and read in the halls of the museum - is not it wonderful ? And then take with you a postcard with one of the pictures - it will remind you of this experience for a long time, and you will again and again Think about what you saw and make the most complete impression. Drink coffee in a museum cafe is also a good idea. This is the best place to share impressions with each other or reflect on what they saw alone.
