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Art, Meditation and Cognitive Science: A Framework for Museum-based Community Meditation Programme during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Singapore
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused mandatory lockdowns worldwide, exacerbating mental health issues created by social isolation. To improve museum visitors' mental health and maintain engagement despite the physical closure of museums, the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) rapidly deployed an online programme called Unwind with SAM to engage the public with the museum's contemporary art collection through meditation and contemplation. The programme focused on the positive effect of arts on mental health and well-being, combined with the cognitive benefits of meditation by ‘slow-looking’ at artworks. The programme was a reaction to lockdown conditions; therefore, this practice-based report allows for reflection and consolidation of the processes to explore the intersectional potential between art, contemplation and cognitive sciences in a publicly accessible way. The first section briefly overviews the current landscape of art and wellness approaches in museums. The second section outlines a philosophical framework which explores the intersection of art, meditation and cognitive science to guide the programme, alongside a breakdown of components and design rationale. The final part provides a critical reflection and concludes with recommendations for other museum practitioners, managers and scientists to utilise the framework for designing future programmes with diverse organisations.N