The current crisis caused by the pandemic has originated abrupt changes in all of the sectors of human activity. The archaeological sites and site museums have not been an exception. It is in this complicated context that the questions arise: What are the new objectives of a museum for public attendance? Can an archaeological site continue to be relevant if people don’t visit it? How effective can digital exhibits be? What opportunities do museums have in the midst of this crisis?
Considering this context, Wiese Foundation has decided that the sixth edition of its International Archaeology Colloquium, titled Cultural Heritage and COVID-19: Challenges, opportunities and learnings, shall turn into platforms, just as its other programs and projects, in order to contribute, together with Peruvian society, to overcoming the crisis.
New challenges of Archaeology
The temporary closure of archaeological sites and museums has limited the physical access to our cultural heritage. In the face of this complicated situation, the cultural institutions have been forced to react to a never-imagined scenario, but that, in time, we can discern a reality: the social life related to the cultural heritage will never be the same.
What we can, indeed, be sure about is that in-person visits to cultural venues will resume, but with strict restrictions in the physical interaction of people with said venues; this, in the hopes of preventing situations of new contagion outbreaks.
A virtual colloquium
Adapting to this reality, the International Archaeology Colloquium of this year changes its in-person format for a virtual one. What will we find in this sixth edition? The first thing it sets out to do is to sketch out a diagnosis of the impact of the sanitary emergency on the cultural and archaeological heritage, as well as addressing the challenges that the institutions related to its management and dissemination have identified and confronted in this pandemic context.
Moreover, this colloquium shall be an excellent venue for reflecting on the learnings and opportunities that the pandemic crisis is leaving us; opening a new scenario of resumption of the works destined to the care, research, generation of experiences and dissemination of contents related to our cultural heritage.
The event shall be held from September 8 through 29 and, in order to sign up, you have but to click on this link. To participate, go here:
We are waiting for you!
