In terms of facilitating world-wide access to exclusive exhibitions, this is a fabulous idea. However, how will museums tackle declining ticket sales? Is this not a factor?
Let’s face it: while I love the experience of going into a museum, I would much rather not pay $15 to an exclusive exhibition and instead browse the goods online. However, I imagine that the benefits of this program far outweigh the costs:
For participating museums, it can be worthwile to go web 2.0, the organisers argue. They can reach new audiences, increase brand recognition and boost turnover. By now, eight museums in the Netherlands have joined. “We’re very happy with these entries, this is a good start. But we’re still looking for more museums that would like to participate”, an organisation spokesperson said.