In legal terms, a sidebar is a discussion that occurs in a law court between the lawyers and the judge held out of earshot of the jury; in journalism, a sidebar is a short article placed alongside a main article, containing additional or explanatory material; but to my mind, a sidebar is also a small bar off from the main bar where a small group can sit over a quiet drink and converse, away from the din of the crowd. These sidebar pieces – for paying subscribers and special guests, my judges – are a combination of all three.

One of the most ubiquitous signs in every museum and art gallery the world over is some variation of the command: do not touch the art. The common assumption – even among those working in these museums and galleries – is that the purpose of this is obviously to protect the artworks from damage – an act of preservation and conservation – and that it is a longstanding tradition. But like most common assumptions which guide our everyday lives, it is neither as longstanding nor as simple as we’d probably like to think; and the preservation rationale was only ever an afterthought...