Democratising audience experience: making space for families in blockbuster exhibitions

Abstract

ABSTRACT The art museum, as observed by Duncan, is a ‘ritual’ space ‘reserved for a special quality of attention’ materialised in a narrow set of acceptable behaviours [Duncan, Carol. 1991. “Art Museums and the Ritual of Citizenship.” In The Poetics and Politics of Museum Display, edited by Ivan Karp and Steven D. Lavine, 88–103. Washington: Smithsonian Institute Press]. In recent decades, under the auspices of the new museology, the ritualised space was challenged by institutions experimenting with new ways to present exhibitions and engage with audiences to accommodate a broad cross-section of society. This paper examines how the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) has foregrounded active, social-based art experiences in an attempt to engage family audiences within blockbuster exhibitions through the implementation of family activity rooms. While many museums have invested in dedicated family spaces and programming, the NGA’s innovation stems from its decision to incorporate such a space within the blockbuster. The paper investigates one such room to argue that its active, inclusive spaces physically and intellectually democratised the exhibition by building visitors’ confidence and knowledge.