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| As Museums Get on TikTok, the Uffizi Is an Unlikely Class Clown | As Museums Get on TikTok, the Uffizi Is an Unlikely Class Clown |
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| LONDON — Last month, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence — long a bastion of tradition — posted a video to its TikTok account featuring Botticelli’s “Spring.” The painting depicts Venus and other mythological figures, and has been gawked at by tourists and studied by academics for centuries. | LONDON — Last month, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence — long a bastion of tradition — posted a video to its TikTok account featuring Botticelli’s “Spring.” The painting depicts Venus and other mythological figures, and has been gawked at by tourists and studied by academics for centuries. |
| On TikTok, users were treated to a new perspective on this masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance: Set to Todrick Hall’s expletive-filled club track “Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels,” each time a body part is mentioned — “thin waist, thick thighs” — the video jumps to a corresponding part of the painting. “Purse full, big bills,” Hall sings, and the TikTok zooms in on the flowers held by Flora, the goddess of spring. | On TikTok, users were treated to a new perspective on this masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance: Set to Todrick Hall’s expletive-filled club track “Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels,” each time a body part is mentioned — “thin waist, thick thighs” — the video jumps to a corresponding part of the painting. “Purse full, big bills,” Hall sings, and the TikTok zooms in on the flowers held by Flora, the goddess of spring. |
| As the song ramps up, the video is edited so the 15th-century figures dance along in time. | As the song ramps up, the video is edited so the 15th-century figures dance along in time. |
| The irreverent clip is one of several on the Uffizi’s TikTok account poking fun at its collection of masterpieces, as the museum tries to transform its image from a dusty home of Renaissance art to a place Italy’s teenagers want to explore. | The irreverent clip is one of several on the Uffizi’s TikTok account poking fun at its collection of masterpieces, as the museum tries to transform its image from a dusty home of Renaissance art to a place Italy’s teenagers want to explore. |
| “Maybe it looks a little stupid,” said Ilde Forgione, 35, who runs the account, in a telephone interview, “but sometimes you have to give people a different point of view, something that says, ‘Art is not boring. Art is not something you just learn at school. It’s something you can discover for yourself.’” | “Maybe it looks a little stupid,” said Ilde Forgione, 35, who runs the account, in a telephone interview, “but sometimes you have to give people a different point of view, something that says, ‘Art is not boring. Art is not something you just learn at school. It’s something you can discover for yourself.’” |
| There are now 11 museums on TikTok, according to the booming social media platform, where (mostly young) people make and share short videos. Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum joined in April, and the Prado Museum in Madrid joined earlier this month (the Metropolitan Museum of Art used the platform last year for a couple of projects, but its account is now dormant). The Uffizi is an especially unlikely member of this select group, given that until a couple of years ago, it acted like the internet didn’t exist. | There are now 11 museums on TikTok, according to the booming social media platform, where (mostly young) people make and share short videos. Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum joined in April, and the Prado Museum in Madrid joined earlier this month (the Metropolitan Museum of Art used the platform last year for a couple of projects, but its account is now dormant). The Uffizi is an especially unlikely member of this select group, given that until a couple of years ago, it acted like the internet didn’t exist. |
| The museum only got a website in 2015 (ticket scalpers used to take advantage of its absence by running their own “official” websites) and it didn’t set up a Facebook page until March when the museum closed because of the coronavirus, as part of an effort to reach people stuck at home during Italy’s lockdown. | The museum only got a website in 2015 (ticket scalpers used to take advantage of its absence by running their own “official” websites) and it didn’t set up a Facebook page until March when the museum closed because of the coronavirus, as part of an effort to reach people stuck at home during Italy’s lockdown. |
| “We were pretty much in the stone age,” said Eike Schmidt, the museum’s director, in a telephone interview, saying the Uffizi had gone from being a laggard to at the “avant-garde” of museum social media in a few months. | “We were pretty much in the stone age,” said Eike Schmidt, the museum’s director, in a telephone interview, saying the Uffizi had gone from being a laggard to at the “avant-garde” of museum social media in a few months. |
| He decided to give TikTok a try, he said, because the platform reaches younger users than Twitter, Facebook or even Instagram. He asked Ms. Forgione, an administrative assistant, to lead a team producing material for the account after learning she loved funny social media posts, he said. | He decided to give TikTok a try, he said, because the platform reaches younger users than Twitter, Facebook or even Instagram. He asked Ms. Forgione, an administrative assistant, to lead a team producing material for the account after learning she loved funny social media posts, he said. |
| Ms. Forgione’s videos have certainly been funny, and, at times, surreal. In one post, a cartoon coronavirus dances through the Uffizi and stops at Caravaggio’s painting of “Medusa,” the mythical being that turned those who dared gaze at her into stone. The virus turns into a rock and drops to the floor, smashing in half. Then the painting is wearing a face mask. All this happens to a soundtrack of Cardi B shouting “coronavirus.” | Ms. Forgione’s videos have certainly been funny, and, at times, surreal. In one post, a cartoon coronavirus dances through the Uffizi and stops at Caravaggio’s painting of “Medusa,” the mythical being that turned those who dared gaze at her into stone. The virus turns into a rock and drops to the floor, smashing in half. Then the painting is wearing a face mask. All this happens to a soundtrack of Cardi B shouting “coronavirus.” |
| In another video, Bronzino’s 1552 painting of the dwarf Morgante escaped from its frame and went hunting, naked, through the Uffizi’s gardens to The Weeknd’s song “Blinding Lights.” The real Morgante, a jester for the court of the Medicis in the 16th century, had gone hunting in those gardens, Ms. Forgione said, insisting many of her posts were based on historical fact. | In another video, Bronzino’s 1552 painting of the dwarf Morgante escaped from its frame and went hunting, naked, through the Uffizi’s gardens to The Weeknd’s song “Blinding Lights.” The real Morgante, a jester for the court of the Medicis in the 16th century, had gone hunting in those gardens, Ms. Forgione said, insisting many of her posts were based on historical fact. |
| The account, set up on Apr. 28, has 22,000 followers. Ms. Forgione said she was pleased with that number, considering that on Twitter the museum has built up 42,000 followers over the last four years. On June 12, Martina Socrate, an Italian TikTok star, did a livestream from the museum’s account, during which she pointed out paintings she liked and accidentally set off the museum’s emergency alarm. It got 60,000 views. | The account, set up on Apr. 28, has 22,000 followers. Ms. Forgione said she was pleased with that number, considering that on Twitter the museum has built up 42,000 followers over the last four years. On June 12, Martina Socrate, an Italian TikTok star, did a livestream from the museum’s account, during which she pointed out paintings she liked and accidentally set off the museum’s emergency alarm. It got 60,000 views. |
| TikTok helped arrange that livestream as part of its “Week of Museums,” providing a list of “creators” for the museum to choose from. The Uffizi chose Ms. Socrate because her TikTok video had the same values of being “funny with intelligent things,” Ms. Forgione said. | TikTok helped arrange that livestream as part of its “Week of Museums,” providing a list of “creators” for the museum to choose from. The Uffizi chose Ms. Socrate because her TikTok video had the same values of being “funny with intelligent things,” Ms. Forgione said. |
| TikTok is trying to increase the presence of museums and educational figures on its platform. In April, it announced a $50 million fund to give grants to such groups to make content, and in May it announced partnerships with Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson to develop educational posts. | TikTok is trying to increase the presence of museums and educational figures on its platform. In April, it announced a $50 million fund to give grants to such groups to make content, and in May it announced partnerships with Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson to develop educational posts. |
| Ms. Forgione said the hardest thing about running the account was getting the right tone for TikTok’s young audience. “I’m 35,” she said, “and the others in the team are older.” She has run ideas past two cousins, who are 20 and 22, she said (they have also helped at times with Photoshop). Colleagues have also consulted their teenage children about clips, she added. | Ms. Forgione said the hardest thing about running the account was getting the right tone for TikTok’s young audience. “I’m 35,” she said, “and the others in the team are older.” She has run ideas past two cousins, who are 20 and 22, she said (they have also helped at times with Photoshop). Colleagues have also consulted their teenage children about clips, she added. |
| The Uffizi’s approach to TikTok — filled with manic humor and often featuring songs that are trending in Italy — is not typical of museums on the platform. Since January, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh has been posting a stream of gentle, educational videos to its account, often featuring employees stuck at home in lockdown. Recent posts have included a museum educator showing a bunny nest in her yard and a scientist explaining what biodiversity means with the help of her pet cat. | |
| Updated June 24, 2020 | Updated June 24, 2020 |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| Sloan MacRae, the museum’s marketing director, said in a telephone interview that the museum had never considered wacky clips or dance videos. “That’s just not us,” he said. But its “slightly goofy” educational approach has helped it gain 160,000 followers, he said, with many commenting that they want to visit the museum once it reopens. In June, the museum received a grant from TikTok under the Creative Learning Fund, he added. | Sloan MacRae, the museum’s marketing director, said in a telephone interview that the museum had never considered wacky clips or dance videos. “That’s just not us,” he said. But its “slightly goofy” educational approach has helped it gain 160,000 followers, he said, with many commenting that they want to visit the museum once it reopens. In June, the museum received a grant from TikTok under the Creative Learning Fund, he added. |
| “It can be accused of being lowbrow,” Mr. MacRae said of TikTok, “but we do intellectual and we do gravity all the time and we thought if this worked out, it could be a gateway drug to learning.” | “It can be accused of being lowbrow,” Mr. MacRae said of TikTok, “but we do intellectual and we do gravity all the time and we thought if this worked out, it could be a gateway drug to learning.” |
| Ms. Forgione said she would continue making her more irreverent TikTok posts. Last Friday, her team posted a new video, which used two paintings from the museum’s collection to present a guide to “bad ways to flirt.” It quickly racked up 2,500 likes. | Ms. Forgione said she would continue making her more irreverent TikTok posts. Last Friday, her team posted a new video, which used two paintings from the museum’s collection to present a guide to “bad ways to flirt.” It quickly racked up 2,500 likes. |
| The museum reopened on June 2 after Italy eased its lockdown, and Ms. Forgione said she hopes fans of the TikTok account will pay a visit. “It’d be great if they made their own TikToks here and tagged us,” she added. Serious, or silly, she said, she’s open to all. | The museum reopened on June 2 after Italy eased its lockdown, and Ms. Forgione said she hopes fans of the TikTok account will pay a visit. “It’d be great if they made their own TikToks here and tagged us,” she added. Serious, or silly, she said, she’s open to all. |