For years, museums have talked about their indispensability to society. Yet during the pandemic, most were closed for extended periods of time. Why is it that museums were not considered essential enough to keep open during the pandemic? And now that Covid-19 may be drawing to a close, how can museums make a stronger case for their indispensability? What are the best arguments for keeping museums open and operational?
On the heels of CIMAM’s recent survey titled Why should museums remain open and operational? and Szántó’s latest book, The Future of the Museum: 28 Dialogues, New York-based author and cultural strategy adviser András Szántó moderates a discussion between four prominent members of CIMAM, all of whom are featured in the book.

• Rhana Devenport, Director, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
• Mami Kataoka, Director, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan.
• Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, Serpentine Galleries, London, United Kingdom.
• Philip Tinari, Director, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), Beijing, China.