Latest Selfie disaster in a Museum - Uffizi this time

I feel strongly that banning photos in museums would take care of a significant amount of boorish behavior.
Thx for sharing.

Maybe a profitable new attraction somewhere would be a place with exhibits that are intended for people to crawl on, imitate, or to inspire poses, so they can create their personal 15 minutes of fame in their own selfie collection. They could get snapshots of themselves with replicas of the David, the Mona Lisa, and other iconic works, all under one roof, then share their pictures from the cafe.

How much would people pay to get in? Discounts if you hold an official influencer card? Would people pose in front of the place, for a picture of themselves by its sign? It could give out awards for the Best Stupid Picture of the Month, without tying up visitors at the actual sites, or damaging the original artworks

"I feel strongly that banning photos in museums would take care of a significant amount of boorish behavior."

The amount of effort (and money) to enforce it leads to efforts unable (or unwilling) to do so at many of the sites of this behavior now. That's why it happens in a lot of cases.

When I was at the Vatican, and especially the Sistine Chapel, I saw people surreptitiously taking pics of the surroundings/ceiling. Though that stated restriction did stop the selfie activity so indirectly it could work.

Fortunately not that difficult to do. They are banned at the Prado and we never saw people sneaking one in much less being outright stupid. It was wonderful.

The Uffizi administration is considering banning selfies. Long overdue.

Since cell phones are easy to use surreptitiously banning photos just affects people who are honest and follow rules.

Since cell phones are easy to use surreptitiously banning photos just affects people who are honest and follow rules.

There are so many idiots who have ruined the lives of photographers who do everything right. In Bavaria alone, I can think of 10 places that you can no longer visit directly because they were damaged in an attempt to create an even cooler Instagram post.

I wonder what's wrong with people? No appreciation for art, culture, and nature, all for a great shot. What a superficial society we've become.

The Uffizi administration is considering banning selfies. Long
overdue.

Because never has a person walking backward so her friend could get her into the photo tripped over anything. Just the selfies that do that. I literally caught a young lady about to step off into the metro stairs while walking backward for a photo in front of the Opera House. If I hadn’t been coming up the stairs she would have been going down the stairs, derrière first. No selfie involved.

But banning photos in buildings ... museums especially ... sure makes good sense. Also protecting works of art so people cant trip and destroy them would be a good idea. A world renowned 80-year-old art critic could be overcome with joy, pass out and destroy something. Thats irresponsible on the part of the museum.

Because never has a person walking backward so her friend could get her into the photo tripped over anything.

I remember that when I was young photos in Italian museums were forbidden. The first photo I shoot in a museum was out of Italy, probably Austria, and I remember being surprised it was possible. I cannot tell when photos were allowed in Italy - probably when due to digital cameras everybody was shooting anyway.

I remember when smartphones were just getting popular. We were at the Orsay museum and a group of young Asian friends stood by every Van Gogh painting for a selfie. It was so irritating for the other patrons and honestly after about the tenth selfie is anyone else looking at this pictures really going to care?

Some of the attractions I've been to do have a "selfie area" where you can take pictures with photos of some of the paintings. I think the is a lot better. I always laugh because in about 5 years, these selfie takers won't even care about these photos.

We were at the Orsay museum and a group of young Asian friends stood
by every Van Gogh painting for a selfie. It was so irritating for the
other patrons

Reminds me of the time I was at the Musée d'Orsay and wanted to catch a glimpse of the view out of the clock window. But a couple of Asian girls had set up camp there and were taking endless selfies - on and on and on - while an impatient crowd gathered waiting to get an unobstructed view out the window (and maybe a photo without the girls in it) and move on.

Stella, that clock was nuts when I was there last year....

the desire for pics for your socials has ruined a lot of things, there was a LINE to get yourself backlit by the outside light (making an AWFUL picture) and our tour guide exclaimed to the group "there's not supposed to be a line!" and encouraged everyone to just walk up to the window HAAH

the desire for pics for your socials has ruined a lot of things,

I think it is a self-propagating issue. The more people that post selfies next to the something like the clock window in the Orsay, then the more people are driven to do the same thing and it kind of takes on a life of its own.

In another thread I mentioned how I first saw the Mona Lisa in 1980, and at the time you just walked right up to it, spent a couple of minutes looking at it - "Wow, it's the Mona Lisa!" - and then you moved on. There might have been a handful of people standing in front of it at any given time. Now it is insane with MOBS of people pushing and shoving and trying to get their photos and selfies. It's not even worth seeing any more (to me), the hype has ruined it.

I agree with Elizabeth - visiting the Prado was such a joy with no one taking photos and selfies. It really made a difference.

The Orsay used to ban photos and this was easy to police when photos meant big clunky cameras; they changed the policy when it became clear that smart phones made it really hard to police and so only scofflaws were following the rules.

My husband is visually impaired and has to use his phone to view a lot of art, to be able to enlarge sections and actually see anything; he isn't taking pictures. But I remember in Berlin where he was trying to view Nofretit who may not be photographed they would not let him use the phone to see.

The growth of tourism has made many things difficult to enjoy. I remember when I could walk right up to the David in florence or the Pieta in Rome and now due to vandalism those things are now behind barriers and difficult to see well especially the pieta which might as well be a picture or video since it is kept so distant and behind glass. same with the Moses in San Pietro en Vincoli. Last time we were at St. Denis in Paris, there were barriers so that you could not longer get close to some of the iconic monuments. When we were at the Uffizi last fall, the room with the great Gentileschi Judith was so jammed with people that we could not get near the painting.

Why, above, was the race of the selfie subjects important?

And if it's like the tourists here. For every selfie taker there is at least one other taking a photo of a friend or family and despite and how that might be even more intrusive we concentrate of selfie... especially when by a particular group of individuals.

Still, I would be happier if inside museums photo taking was just outlawed. Not that I have been terribly inconvenienced by them, I just get tired of the context of the complaints.

StellaB, why was the race of the selfie subjects important?

I was replying to another person who wrote this:

We were at the Orsay museum and a group of young Asian friends stood
by every Van Gogh painting for a selfie

So why is it important that you single ME out to ask this question?

I recognized the error and corrected it 6 minutes prior to your response.

Maybe a profitable new attraction somewhere would be a place with exhibits that are intended for people to crawl on, imitate, or to inspire poses, so they can create their personal 15 minutes of fame in their own selfie collection. They could get snapshots of themselves with replicas of the David, the Mona Lisa, and other iconic works, all under one roof, then share their pictures from the cafe.

Sounds a lot like a children's playspace. Which seems appropriate for this behavior.

There are so many "museums" popping up nowadays, "selfie museums", "museums of illusions", etc.....people will pay good money to get their pictures....

Some of the attractions I've been to do have a "selfie area" where you can take pictures with photos of some of the paintings. I think the is a lot better.

When we visited the Belvedere in Vienna back in 2015, they had a full-sized copy of The Kiss right by the entrance, so people could take pictures and selfies to their hearts' content.

I don't understand the point of trying to make a silly pose in front of a famous painting, let alone one that might cause damage, but I guess there's an audience for every kind of foolishness.

I do think there's a specific difference between someone who is taking a picture of something awesome and someone who is behaving as if they're an influencer. One is quick and usually focused on the site, the other settles in to a prime spot, with room for their fancy clothes and space to review all the pictures their photographer friend has taken of them, with no regard for those around them. Their focus is on themselves, not the site. It's really rather sad if you think about it.

These youths have now proceeded to destroy the art? Poor youth, poor present and future society! Why are they even there if they care nothing for the art? Will they now cause all photography to be banned so that no one will be able to create their own artworks through reproductions anymore? Can they have a theme park instead, all to themselves? What was the point of having all those HD-screens, with crystal clear images, in the home to brag about if this is what people do with their time instead. Screen or reality? it's a choice we make.

Facebook, IG, Tiktok... All sorts of posting to prove one's existence. Social media promotes narcissism. I used to politely wait for those who take photos and selfies, now it had gone overwhelmingly intolerant! Men and women, old and young, selfish photos and videos! We were in L'Orangerie seeing Monet's, couple of Asian guys repeatedly walking across the wall size paintings for videos, back and forth, back and forth!
Museums should ban taking photos, especially selfies. Buy postcards if one needs to.
From my recent trip to Europe I realized young groups have become very rude and disrespectful, being so ignorant of the surroundings and other tourists. Narcissism + Covid related social behavior?

The Orsay used to ban photos and this was easy to police when photos
meant big clunky cameras; they changed the policy when it became clear
that smart phones made it really hard to police and so only scofflaws
were following the rules.

Now with the new "meta glasses" it's going to be even harder to police it in places like the Sistine Chapel which forbids all photos. I bought my son a pair for Christmas, and he is so excited about wearing them on his upcoming trip to Italy. First, because they have built-in translation, and second, because you can take a photo of something just LOOKING at it. He has this idea he can go in the Sistine Chapel and look up at the ceiling - wearing his meta glasses - and take photos. And I don't know, maybe he can!

(And PS...I don't need anyone coming down on me about what my son has in mind, he is a grown man of 44 years old so his mistakes are his own - I'm not condoning what he intends to do, just passing it along in the interest of this discussion!)

you can take a photo of something just LOOKING at it. He has this idea he can go in the Sistine Chapel and look up at the ceiling - wearing his meta glasses - and take photos. And I don't know, maybe he can

Photos of oneself, if not standing in front of a mirror, would likely just be a close-up of one’s eyeballs.

Now, photographing somebody, telling them to keep backing up to the painting, or snapping countless different poses to obtain a multitude of indulgent images, while everybody else waits for them to finish their photoshoot (and then likely continuing to stand in front of the artwork and standing next to each other, staring at the screen to review all the photos that were just taken), that could be done while just looking at their subject. It wouldn’t be obvious whether they were simply looking at a person, painting and/or statue, or creating a big production that they think is going to be the ultimate, and interesting to the entire world once they finish getting all the shots.

Photos of oneself, if not standing in front of a mirror, would likely
just be a close-up of one’s eyeballs.

Yeah, I don't think the point of the meta glasses is to take selfies - obviously! But I guess what you can do is photograph something you're looking at without other people realizing that you are taking a picture.

I haven't tried the glasses myself, so I'm not sure how they work, I'm just going by what my son told me. And he was equally stoked about the automatic translation feature - apparently when someone speaks to you, it translates the speech and you hear it through the earpiece. I'd kind of like to try that, actually!