Just arrived from New York, Bernardo Pajares Duro (Vilagarcía de Arousa, 1983) he is a happy man. Together with Javier Sáinz, they managed to bring the Prado Museum closer to all audiences with the following content: TikTok this encouraged young people to become interested in culture and break the stigma of elitism.
His work with videos that have a casual and informative tone in the digital medium was crystallized in the Webby award, in which his work in displaying art was recognized. They also won the TikTok award in December. The best initiative of the World of Art and Culture. A recognition that reinforces his work.
How does a man from Vilagar get to the Prado Museum?
I was giving theater lessons to children and adolescents in schools and I was also teaching English Philology. I had a partner in extracurricular activities who told me: Security guards needed at Prado Museum and said they opened a call to protest. I applied, passed the exam, but I couldn’t get a permanent position because I didn’t work at the museum and I didn’t have any points. One afternoon they called me to enter from there. general services assistant at an exhibition For the opening of the museum. I agreed to stay that six months and stayed for nine years. I got the permanent position and how I studied communication and got a master’s degree in radio. They asked me to help on social networks and so far.
What have you learned from your life in Bamio after these years?
They are my roots, my whole family, and my grandmother’s memories. That’s everything I learned as a kid. My father was a mechanic and my mother was a shellfish farmer, they are very humble.. They taught me to work hard to get what I can do in life and get a job. He always told me that if I wanted to study I had to read, if I didn’t I had to go to the orchard because there was always work out there. I grew up in a culture of effort and respect for others does not stand alone and is something I see at the museum every day. The content we make is not just about putting in a mobile phone to record or voice a script written by Javier (my partner) or I. Without our curators and restorers who examine the works of the museum in depth, they are useless.
You recently won the “Webby Awards” award for the best initiative of the world of art and culture with your content on TikTok. What does this mean for your work?
Very happy. In the background is the recognition of everyday affairs. Our work is valued with very modest facilities (accessible to all). the whole team From the Prado Museum. It is also rewarded find ways to count play simply. We don’t make anything up, we just explain it in a way that everyone can understand and learn while having fun; understand, for example, Since the hero of the picture is Infanta Margarita, Meninas is not three, but two.
Do you feel pressure to carry the audio-visual content of such an important museum?
It’s true that there is always some pressure on you to get to this point, we have close to half a million followers and there is some pressure on us. We are investigating what What interests people most? and when they give us such a reward from Webby or TikTok Our win in December adds to the pressure on you in the eyes of many. We will continue with our style of telling stories about the museum. There is always someone who has something to say inwardly.
Is it complicated to adapt cultural content to a platform like TikTok?
I thought so at first. I was surprised when Javier called me to create a Tik Tok account. Tell me that we won’t dance, we’ll be the Museo del Prado and adapt to all audiences focused on youth. We begin to describe the vase of Las Meninas, the brushstroke of Goya in the golden minute of the social network. Some posts exceed one million views. All our colleagues contribute and we are happy. That atmosphere that exists transcends the screens,
One of these achievements has been to bring the Prado Museum closer to all audiences and break with the elitist label.
Maybe we just came from there. My parents came to see me and asked if they understood. Thanks to them, I also learned how to explain this to people. In general, it is the will of the museum to approach the whole public.