When we announced the first virtual MuñecArt, our audience split into two camps. The first one enthusiastically accepted the innovation, seeing clear prospects in it, the other went into a deep defense, digging in anti-tank ditches and setting up sentries around the entire perimeter so that not a single scout from “encroaching on the holy” would break through to them 🙂.

This behavior is predictable. This is how most of us react when faced with major changes in traditional lifestyles and habits. We push away everything new, naively believing that in this way we will prevent the emergence of this new in our life. Only this does not happen. Progress does not stand still. Life changes, every year faster and faster and does not ask our permission for these changes.

At one time, with the advent of cinema, many predicted a quick death to the theater. Has it come true? Of course no! Now it's even funny for us to think about it. Theater and cinema are two independent types of art, we all perfectly understand the difference between them, the specifics of each of them, and nothing prevents us from enjoying both one and the other. It seems that the actors are busy with the same, and the stories are often the same, but, nevertheless, they are completely different. Therefore, it would never occur to anyone to oppose one to the other.

Think about how many familiar routine actions you perform every day using electronic technology. How convenient and understandable it is for us. How do you imagine life without a mobile phone? And what about emails, especially if you need to find out something urgently? And the ability to pay for utilities at home, via the phone, without standing in a tedious line at the bank? I am silent about shopping on the Internet, which we all mastered with great success, it seems, a hundred years ago. Only not a hundred, but, on the strength, fifteen years. You can list for a long time everything that we do via the Internet, and it's really convenient.

Virtual exhibitions would inevitably appear sooner or later, but the current situation in the world has accelerated this process. Therefore, one should not think that the pandemic is to blame for everything. Not at all. Such exhibitions are a tribute to the time, that's all. But right now they are most in demand and relevant. This is a modern brainchild, which provides a lot of opportunities not available for an exhibition in a traditional format.

1. Your audience is the whole world. Stop at this point and turn on your imagination. Your creation can be seen in Alaska, Australia, Japan, Europe, Canada, in general, anywhere in the world, while you don't even need to leave your apartment to show the results of your creativity, in fact, like collectors 🙂.
2. Instant speed of interaction with customers and fans, regardless of the distance.
3. No time zones. You can safely spit on them. It's night in your country, you sleep, but the exhibition is open anyway and your page is viewed from the other side of the world.
4. Fantastic audience coverage. For example, the first virtual MuñecArt was visited by over 300,000 people! And this is just the beginning, the next exhibition will attract many more people.
5. Additional safety net in case your profile is blocked on social networks. Those who have encountered this are well aware of how painful it is. How easy it is to lose an audience that has been gained over the years.
6. The virtual exhibition does not depend on anyone or anything. Perhaps this is the most important thing now. Nobody can close us, apart from our desire.

As you can see, the virtual format provides a lot of undeniable possibilities. At a time when traditional exhibitions are either closed or endlessly postponed, it looks like a reliable island in a sea of chaos.

In addition, as Nina Radzikhovskaya rightly noted, we must think about the new generation, since there are practically no young people at traditional exhibitions. There are no young people, which means there is no future. Young people live on the Internet, and if we want to attract them, we must reach out in a way they understand, showing amazing works on the phone screen, make them want to see them live. Don't just think that it doesn't matter, that there are enough collectors for your lifetime, and let others think about the new generation. Remember, everything that does not develop dies, and very quickly. Much faster than you might imagine.

The virtual exhibition is a lifeline for doll art, for masters, in today's situation. This is an opportunity not only to hold out "until dawn", but also the opportunity to fully exhibit, to be modern. These are not crutches, but rather a sports car.

I am sure that when we all go through all this safely, I don’t want to write rude words here, and others don’t come to mind, then we will understand that we are not ready to give up virtual exhibitions, that this is a comfortable part of our life. And when we all meet at the traditional MuñecArt, we will certainly raise our glasses to the virtual MuñecArt.

on the photo by Elena Kuzub