The covid-19 pandemic has urged many cultural landmarks to fashion new means that keep them in touch with their audiences despite the global health restrictions. French museums signed a partnership with TikTok in order to widen their popular base among the app's users, mostly teens, a report by AFP said.
The partnership aims to offer TikTok users, aged between 15 and 25 years, the opportunity to learn more about these landmarks including the Place of Versailles, and the Musée du Quai Branly, and to encourage them to visit these places personally later.
The platform, which launched in 2016 and gathered around 100 million users in Europe, plans to expand the Culture TikTok season after its remarkable success.
From 14 to 20 December, the application streamed live shows from museums. One of these shows compared the shields and protective equipment of soldiers used during World War I and those used during the Napoleonic era at Les Invalides Museum. Another showcased an exhibit about the late French actor Louis de Funes at the Cinematheque, and a third offered a tour around the collections of the Picasso Museum.
The Citroen DS from the famous film trilogy Fantômas got 376,000 views and 8,940 likes from TikTok users, while the feathered Big Chief costume, inspired by the "Mardi Gras" carnival in New Orleans, got 168,000 views and 2,784 likes.
About 100,000 TikTok users around the world attended the dance performances at the Palais de Chaillot on December 15, the day France planned to reopen art galleries.
"This partnership helped empower the cultural landmarks that didn't have enough followers on social media, stream their first live shows," Eric Garandeau, TikTok's manager of public affairs in France Eric Garandeau told AFP, noting that ads about these cultural venues have been appearing on TikTok.
Now that the number of followers for each museum has exceeded 1,000 (the number required for live streaming), they have become able to live stream their exhibitions.
Garandeau stressed that the aim "is not to compete with museums, but to encourage young people to visit them via the Culture TikTok hashtag, and express their passion for art in short videos (15-60 seconds) speaking about a painting or a musical piece.
From the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, TikTokers had the chance to watch a presentation by an expert specialized in the era of Louis XIV.
"At the first sight, viewers would think that the background behind the expert is virtual, as the younger generation is used to live in the virtual world. Some thought the scene is fake, but, they eventually realized that they can make a tour in the hall to enjoy the exhibits," Garandeau said.
The visit to the palace got 441,000 views and 25,000 likes.
"I dream of visiting the Palace of Versailles with someone who is fond of history and hear some stories," a user commented.
In the Musée du Quai Branly, Archeologist and Anthropologist Philippe Charlier, head of research at The First Arts Department, showcased five famous art pieces from Mali, Gabon, Brazil, Papua, and Southern United States.
Head of communication Thomas Aillagon said the media policy at the Musée du Quai Branly focuses on "highlighting the geographical diversity that reflects the diversity of cultures and origins," stressing that his museum is targeting most of TikTok lovers, who are likely not interested in the Quai Branly.
Eric Garandeau, who expected this experience to prompt other museums to use TikTok, announced that more shows will be live-streamed on the app.
"We have to encourage Americans and Japanese to visit France," he added, admitting that the language is a major challenge as the streamed content on TikTok is not translated.
TikTok, the most popular platform among the young generation, believes that education should be promoted through culture in the face of VR and AR invasion.
The app plans to adopt a similar approach to science in order to promote education by providing a platform for scientists.
