Museum Narratives Research Articles

Influences of VR technology on the effect of museum narrative based on embodied cognitive theory: a case study of the opium war museum

Purpose With an increasing array of new technologies and devices emerging as novel approaches to museum narratives, scholars are intrigued by the narrative effect they produce. Within this context, this study aims to conduct a quantitative case study on the influencing mechanisms among technology embodiment, technology attachment, museum narrative effect and perceived museum image based on embodied cognitive theory (ECT). Design/methodology/approach By introducing the Opium War Museum, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China, as an empirical case study, the authors collected data, through questionnaires, from 425 visitors who had experienced virtual reality (VR) technology in the museum. The data was then analyzed by using the maximum likelihood estimate for structural equation modeling. Findings Technology embodiment and technology attachment have significant positive correlations with the museum narrative effect. Technology attachment provides a partial mediating effect between technology embodiment and the museum narrative effect. The perceived museum image moderates such mediating effects of technology attachment. Originality/value This study brings the emerging idea of developing visitor experiences with VR through expanding the applications of ECT in the museum scenario. First, the authors identified the underlying interaction patterns between various factors that influence the museum narrative effect. Second, the authors verified that technology can optimize the museum narrative effect and help the creative transformation of cultural relics and culture. This study also provides practical recommendations to improve the technological service experience and strengthen the “audience-centric” management concept of museums

‘Critically disruptive’ museum interpretation as a methodology for challenging popular perceptions of Roman Britain

ABSTRACT Scholarly perceptions of Roman Britain and the wider Roman world have changed significantly in recent years, increasingly exploring more nuanced understandings of lived experiences and cultural interactions. Yet, despite the influence the ancient world continues to exert on modern identities and political discourse, it is debatable to what extent these academic shifts have influenced public perceptions. Museums have a central role to play in challenging outdated presumptions of Rome as a homogenised and civilising cultural force, and this article argues for the application of ‘critically disruptive’ interpretative methodologies to achieve this ambition. Case studies of creative prose, poetry and interactivity are explored for the opportunities they offer to reinvigorate museum narratives of Roman Britain.

Theory and every thing: acquiring the office of Professor Stephen Hawking as a resource for history and museology

How do the curators of science and technology collections represent the daily realities of doing science? Through the acquisition of Professor Stephen Hawking’s office by the Science Museum, this paper will explore what is involved in making major acquisitions for national collections. How do curators consider what to preserve from the eclectic range of items found in the working spaces of scientists? What do the personal artefacts of a scientist’s life represent, and what do acts of curatorial choices say about the narratives that are foregrounded – and those that are not – in positioning that life historically? And how do those choices illuminate the considerations involved in the way science and technology is represented in our national collections? By going beyond the glass case, we consider what it takes to bring an object into a collection: the intellectual considerations of how its stories are preserved for a nation and the practical considerations required so that items can even be considered for future display. The paper illuminates the formal and informal networks around scientists’ collections, and the processes and judgements that science and technology curators make every day when choosing what could be important for defining our history. Using the Stephen Hawking office as a case study the article explores the representation of scientific practice in museum collections, the relationship of some collections with celebrity and disability, and some of the challenges posed by science and technology acquisitions compared to other types of museum object. The paper explores how knowledge is generated in museum collections, through the act of acquiring a new collection. It asks fundamental questions, which are essential to the fields of museology and science and technology studies, about the contribution to knowledge made by personal scientific objects. It goes beyond the study of collections as artefacts of display in exhibitions and galleries, providing a detailed analysis of a routine but often-neglected aspect of behind-the-scenes museum work: the acquisition of a collection. Arguing that a large and complex collection is a vital tool for understanding the complexity of science, the paper uses the ‘museum as method’ (Thomas, 2016) which prioritises simple curatorial questions and the use of the objects in exploration; this enables scholars and curators to respond to material evidence of scientific knowledge, and identify narratives that are prioritised, and others that are obscured, in the historic record. In doing so, it suggests that curators are uniquely placed to provide insights into the roles of human and non-human actors in the construction of scientific knowledge, demonstrating how the Hawking collection allows us to explore the nature of scientific practice, the creation of scientific celebrity, and the potential to give visibility to disability within the history of science whilst de-centring the myth of the scientific genius in museum narratives.

Network science for museums.

This paper introduces network science to museum studies. The spatial structure of the museum and the exhibit display largely determine what visitors see and in which order, thereby shaping their visit experience. Despite the importance of spatial properties in museum studies, few scientific tools have been developed to analyze and compare the results across museums. This paper introduces the six habitually used network science indices and assesses their applicability to museum studies. Network science is an empirical research field that focuses on analyzing the relationships between components in an attempt to understand how individual behaviors can be converted into collective behaviors. By taking the museum and the visitors as the network, this methodology could reveal unknown aspects of museum functions and visitor behavior, which could enhance exhibition knowledge and lead to better methods for creating museum narratives along the routes.

Dziedzictwo konfliktu klasowego a lokalna polityka pamięci

The conceptual framework of “difficult heritage” was developed in studies concerning various forms of collective violence. This article is grounded on the assumption that it can also be applied in the context of socio-economic inequalities, since under the hegemonic dominance of interpretations of the past that conform to the interests of the elite, the experiences of subordinated categories become “troublesome.” As such, stories of both oppression and emancipation are forgotten or neutralized. From this perspective, the mechanisms of obscuring and mainstreaming of collective interests and related conflicts as elements of “legitimate” history seem particularly interesting. Drawing on the notions of agonistic memory and museum as agonistic space, the author analyses the permanent exhibition at the Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź, reinterpreting the local history of industrial development. The paper aims to determine the place of industrial conflict in the narrative of the history of an industrial city. It is organized around three questions. First of all, what aspects of industrial relations are discussed in the museum narrative? Are they framed mostly by structural determinants or rather presented as individual and collective experience? Secondly, how are these relations contextualized? And thirdly, which modes of narrative are engaged? And is the conflict between workers and those in charge of the means of production a moral or rather a socio-political issue?

Museum as a transmedia instrument

The concept of transmedia has gradually “merged” into the modern cultural space and the field of other industries, expanding the possibilities for generating and broadcasting public content. Every day, hundreds of publications are created on various channels that carry a lot of meanings, gaining thousands of likes and views, plunging into the minds of their users and forcing them to follow the story and its heroes. The modern museum is not only actively involved in the process of broadcasting information through various media, but has also become an independent tool of the transmedia world. The purpose of this article is to define the museum as one of the possible media channels or tools for the transfer of historical knowledge, popularization of digital heritage, communication, on the one hand, and an independent object that uses a variety of formats and resources to create and broadcast its own content, on the other. It is appropriate to mention such a concept as “museum storytelling”, which is seen as the art of captivating storytelling using various techniques used in museum practice with the help of special media. In this regard, we identify several components of museum storytelling: first, the presence of a narrative, which becomes the core of the interaction between the museum and its audience; second, the use of a variety of formats, means, channels and forms for the creation and broadcasting of museum narrative; and the third is the participation of the audience in the process of creating and broadcasting media content. Thus, the museum acquires the role of an intermediary, a mediator of socially significant contexts, including them in everyday life and human interests, modeling historical reality and broadcasting new accents of mass culture.

Conservá-las em museus quando de interesse scientifico: a coleção de remanescentes humanos na trajetória do Museu Técnico Científico do Instituto Oscar Freire (MTCIOF)

This article draws on historical literature on forensic medicine, the musealization of human remains, and institutional documentation to elucidate the role of the Scientific Technical Museum of the Oscar Freire Institute as a pedagogical resource in shaping the medical-legal specialty in São Paulo during the 20th century. By tracing the institutional trajectory of the museum alongside the history of Forensic Medicine at the institute, it prompts reflection on the ethical implications of housing human remains in museum collections. To effectively preserve, recover, research and display this collection, a comprehensive understanding of its material culture is crucial. The article underscores the ethical imperative of crafting a museum narrative capable of sensitively addressing themes while ensuring the dignity of the people represented by these remnants. Historical context and conservation efforts are therefore essential components of this endeavor. Ultimately, by developing historically informed biographies of musealized human remains, we can strive to safeguard both their material integrity and their dignity.

TIES AND IDENTITY BONDS. MUSEUMEDUCATION AND COGNITIVE CONSERVATISM

The article discusses the complexity of identity,the interdependence of social and cultural identity, andtheir relationship with museum education. The Authoremphasizes that an individual’s identity is shaped both bytheir membership in a social group and the internalizationof its cultural values. With respect to museums, institutionalemployment contributes to identity formation, whilecultural identity stems from museum narratives. The Authoranalyzes individual identity as a manifestation of cognitiveconservatism influenced by neurophysiological mechanisms.The Author argues that museum education can play a significantrole in transforming individual identity, especially by exposingindividuals to diverse perspectives and values. The researchindicating the potential for lasting changes in preferences asa result of educational activities is cited. The Author highlightsthe importance of social bonds formed within the museum,and suggests expanding the perspective of relational art toinclude the experiences of museum education. Furthermore,it is also emphasized that museum education initiatives shouldnot be viewed as tools for analyzing the museum institutionbut as opportunities for participants to express themselves andbuild connections with one another.

Curating time – Museum-things as counterclocks in a climate-challenged world

Climate changes in every social sector, every web of life, radical change is occurring, and we all have to find ways to relate to such fundamental transformation. In this paper, we explore how museums can engage with environmental changes and concerns in new ways. By understanding how the power of time operates, one can make visible temporal connections between human and more-than-human agencies, control and negligence and its consequences. The paper explores the huge potential of museum exhibitions to open up various temporal relations, crucial both for witnessing, learning and un-learning the human impact on the world. Time is one of the museum's most important dimensions and the effects of recognizing other temporalities rather than the prevailing anthropocentric ones – become profound. We have selected one particular exhibition to work with: ‘500 years of Monarchical Power’ at the Royal Armory in Stockholm to explore how temporal relations are produced and maintained in this exhibition. The starting point is that time is not only something measured but also made, which opens up for analyzing museum temporalities in new ways. As will be shown under common museum narratives lies temporal complexities that weaves through human-animal relations, care time and those of planetary change. How, then, can we lay the ground for developing what could be called a more affirmative and ecologically inclusive alter-museum by curating time differently?

Connections across the Coral Sea

The absence of archaeological narratives in Australian museums reflects a complex post-colonial history of research and museology. In this context,Connections across the Coral Seaat the Queensland Museum (December 2021 to 9 July 2023), Brisbane, is a welcome contribution to the important mission of sharing the ancient Australian past with the public. This object-rich exhibition illuminates the lives of coastal peoples, as understood through the ‘Coral Sea Cultural Interaction Sphere’ hypothesis—that is, the idea that during the late Holocene, this was a region of substantial maritime-based exchange between mainland Aboriginal Australians inhabiting Cape York and the peoples of the south coast of Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait Islands (see McNivenet al.2004; Figure 1). The key archaeological content on display includes evidence from excavations on Lizard Island (Jiigurru) off the east coast of Cape York, short films on the Cultural Interaction Sphere hypothesis and how it has been investigated, and a 3D-printed stratigraphic section accompanied by an impressive interactive virtual stratigraphic section (Figure 2). Proponents of the Coral Sea Cultural Interaction Sphere hypothesis argue that, although groups shared ideas, they continued to maintain their individual identities, in many cases choosing not to adopt technologies used in other areas (e.g. the continued use of spear throwers in Australia versus bows and arrows in the Torres Strait Islands and Papua New Guinea).

The Staging of What We Call Latin American: A Decade of Reflection in Arte en Colombia Magazine (1978-1990)

In this article I examine how the relationship between cultural modernity and the artistic avant-garde was configured during the transition from the end of the 19th century to the second half of the 20th century in Latin America. An examination of a set of essays that address the idea of Latin American identity reveals how artists and theorists have tried, in different historical periods, to identify the nuances of critical thinking and art production in the region. In a second section, with the aim of delving deeper into the definition of what is Latin American, I carry out a rereading of a series of articles published between 1978 and 1990 in Arte en Colombia magazine that address both the composition of institutional collections and the design of exhibitions, mainly in the United States and Europe. With this methodology I delineate how certain museum narratives deploy experiences of identity that perpetuate —occasionally questionable— understandings of Latin American art. Through their criticism, the writers selected for this analysis react to outdated policies of representation, allowing us to re-elaborate possible ways of retelling artistic reality from the standpoint of Latin America.

Politika identit v čínských enklávách amerických měst: muzejní narace

This text deals with ethnopolitical identities as presented to visitors to Chinese enclaves by their inhabitants themselves in museums of Chinese enclaves in the United States. We focus on three locations: San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. The text briefly introduces the history of Chinese immigration and the establishment of the Chinese as a minority within the American nation. It focuses on the content of the permanent exhibitions, it describes and analyzes the forms of representing Chinese identities in these museums. At a theoretical level, we draw on the concept of identity politics. We apply a syntagmatic approach, using a method of narrative analysis of the exhibitions, comparing the sequential development of the museum narrative in the order it is intended to be presented to museum visitors. We identify the various elements of the design of the exhibitions and the themes presented. Our research was conducted during field trips of the authors between 2013–2019. The exhibitions come with a so-called canonical narrative that is linearly conceived and introduces the “harmony” of Chinese and American identities. The canonical narrative is coherently and logically conceived, the presented themes support the whole narrative. The canonical narrative illuminates the presence of Chinese immigrants as a journey from exclusion to full emancipation and recognition of their equality, with reference to cultural specifics of Chinese sociocultural identities.

Museums Narrating the Nation: Case Studies from Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina

A museum that represents a community’s history and culture has the ability to influence visitors’ perceptions of that community in the present. In this paper, museums in Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina are examined as case studies to better understand how museums narrate national identity to visitors, both domestic and international. Critical analysis of exhibits reveals that museum narratives often project the image of singular national identities. Meanwhile, they may deny the history of place of other contemporary or historic communities. In Greece, museums project a ‘Greek’ identity based on Classical, Byzantine, and post-Ottoman history. Museums in Bosnia-Herzegovina emphasize a unifying, shared history of the state’s three main ethnic communities without recognizing the profound differences felt between these communities today. These institutions encourage visitors to imagine the nation in a singular manner, without recognizing contemporary or historic diversity. Through these case studies, I interrogate the role of national museums in contemporary society, and consider the implications of transforming representational practices.

Contemporary Latvian Design in Symbiosis with Local Handicraft Tradition

AbstractThe contemporary musealization of Latvian design objects or the inclusion of high-quality examples in the Latvian National Museum Holdings began in 2005. Established three years later in 2008, the Latvian Design of the Year Award has since then attracted attention to this field, prompting further theoretical discourse. The publicly available narrative on 21st century Latvian design often points out the strong influence of local crafts and ethnic cultural heritage. An important impetus in contemporary, ethnically conscious design is the culture of the Song and Dance Celebration, within which the outfits of festival participants are created. This article identifies the application of traditional Latvian crafts in the works of Latvian artists and designers, visualizing the ideas and forms of ethnic identity. The analysis focuses on the general context of Latvian design: institutions supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Latvian Design of the Year Award and FOLD, the digital magazine of creative industries. Sources used include opinion articles and the public messages of companies. To facilitate theoretical understanding of the topic, it was important to take into account the theory of national identity and the museum narrative as well as the history of European design, especially at the turn of the 20th/21st centuries. It should be noted that the history of applied art and design in Latvia during the 20th century is still in the research stage. A historical insight into the construction of the Latvian traditional craft narrative, which began at the end of the 19th century, is also provided so as to promote greater comprehension of Latvian design. Essentially, it is a narrative of national identity, deliberately constructed through the craft practices, raw materials and compositional techniques characteristic of peasant culture.

War in European Museum Narratives and Cultural Memory

The article examines how the war narrative is displayed in modern European museum exhibitions, particularly in light of new museology and cultural memory trends in Germany and Poland. The study recognises that the contested nature of cultural and historical contexts influences the process of representing cultural memory in museum narratives. It combines the theoretical approach of museology with specific museum practices. Using case studies from the Bundeswehr Museum of Military History, Dresden, Germany; the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation, Berlin, Germany; and the Museum of the Second World War, Gdansk, Poland, the author examines the impact of challenging issues centred on cultural memory of the war in museum exhibitions over recent decades. The study underlines the significance of innovative approaches to museum exhibitions that display the experience of war and contribute to social dialogue and sustainability.

Children and the Politics of Memory: Analysis of the Museum Narrative at the Yad Vashem Institute

How does Yad Vashem Institute presents the stories of the youngest participants in the war? What role do children play in its narrative? Do the authors of the exhibition devote separate exhibition to them – or are the children’s fates ‘inscribed’ in the overall message about history? Is the death of victims or the death of heroes at the centre of the message? Is the museum presentation dedicated to specific, individual figures or rather to communities of anonymous participants in wartime events? The author of the article addresses those questions by analysing the narrative line of the Holocaust History Museum (Yad Vashem) in Jerusalem. The research conducted show that the Holocaust story presented in this place focuses on the loss and suffering that resulted in interrupted lives. The perspective of the victims dominates the exhibition analysed. The civilian victims of occupation and Genocide are at the centre of the exhibition.

Cultivating the Past, Living the Modern: The Politics of Time in the Sultanate of Oman

Cultivating the Past, Living the Modern: The Politics of Time in the Sultanate of Oman

“Unity is strength?”: Representing unions at the British national coal museums

Coal mining was central to the disputes between the British government and unions in the 1980s; a heritage recalled today in the national coal mining museums of Great Britain. Unions were long a social bedrock for British mining communities. After the National Union of Mine Workers’ strike contributed to an election loss for the Conservative Party in the 1970s, it was a prime target of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's anti-union efforts in the following decade. The 1984–1985 Strike was a pivotal moment for British unionism, with violent clashes between strikers and police transfixing the country. The end of the once dominant coal industry in Britain is inextricably linked with the 1984–1985 strike and wider union conflict. This paper explores representation of unions and related issues at the Big Pit National Coal Museum in Wales, National Coal Mining Museum for England, and the National Mining Museum Scotland. It analyzes the discursive themes about unions revealed in interpretive material, reflecting on the reasons for similarities and differences between the museums. Visitor reactions to the museums are investigated using user-generated content on TripAdvisor. The implications of a significant disconnect between the prominence of union heritage in museum narratives and audience engagement are considered.

Encoding Memory through Multimodality in Modern-Day Memorial Museums

The article is devoted to the use of technology in memorial museums, particularly in those related to genocide.
 The authors use a multidisciplinary theoretical framework using a diverse toolkit from Semiotics, Communication Studies, and Philosophy to explain the benefits and dangers of implementing technology in a memorial museum. The framework makes particular use of Peirce’s idea of unlimited semiosis, Eco’s considerations about the multiplicity of meanings and the “open text”, the existence of not one but two narratives in museums—especially in memorial museums—and Heidegger’s writings on technology especially enframing and revealing which are invoked in order to explain the interplay between technology and memory. 
 Being based in Yerevan, Armenia, the authors formulate their ideas with the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute (AGMI) in mind. This results in practical recommendations of how technology could be implemented in modern-day memorial museums, and identifies the benefits and dangers that must be kept in mind when doing so.
 The specific subject matter of the AGMI plays a part in how this discourse evolves and the framework is assembled through an exploration of the term genocide, the historical events and artifacts that are presented in the museum and the current setup of the museum.

Decolonizing US settler-colonial narratives in living history museums: the Pilgrims as first people?

ABSTRACT Museums around the world are recognizing their responsibility to repudiate violent legacies of colonialism and decolonize collections, exhibits and interpretation. In North America, decolonization has meant repatriating sacred artifacts, sites and bodies to Indigenous and other dispossessed people; presenting counter-narratives to white settler-colonial history; challenging racist, sexist and other negative stereotypes and histories; and teaching the legacies of violence against Indigenous Peoples, enslaved Black Africans and other groups brutalized by settler-colonialism. Decolonization also means Indigenous and other marginalized people telling their own stories, co-designing exhibits, and developing non-colonial alternatives to museums to research, preserve, celebrate and educate about their heritage and history. This paper examines the historical narratives found in Plimoth Patuxet living history museum alongside those presented by local Wampanoag People. Findings include an elaboration of settler-colonial, bicultural and decolonizing narratives. The paper concludes with a discussion on centering decolonizing narratives in museums.