What makes a museum different to all the other information sources available? In an ever more complicated and forward-looking world, how can we justify investment in something which, by its very nature, looks to the past?
The stock answer has been that museums hold objects and that there is nothing like the experience of the “real thing”.
But how does this equate to the new realities of information on demand and a visually literate audience that is used to high-impact technological experiences?
It could be argued that we are entering a new era where how information is used and processed by human beings comes back to the fore and that the people most practiced at this will be the winners. This processing of information then becomes key.
This could cause many of our more traditional museum colleagues anxiety. The collection of a lifetime of knowledge and experience without the means to impart that to new audiences is bound to cause stress. The challenge remains how to put forward complex ideas in simple language.
Have you ever had an experience where knowledge gets in the way of enjoying an object or painting? The need to push away swathes of information and assess value for ourselves has never been greater.
When access to information is truly equal, it becomes the selection of that information that marks us out as individuals. The kind of information we associate ourselves with becomes part of our identity. We need to encourage this self-selection.
It’s true that what makes museums different is that they hold objects, but unless we engage our audiences in meaningful ways, we will lose ground and, ultimately, the investment needed to keep pace.
We must offer easily accessible buildings where people feel welcomed. We must appeal to those very human senses. We must then aim at engaging audiences through emotional attachment and not simply think that they will find things of interest because we do.
We must create experiences through our museums that stimulate social interaction and allow the sharing of ideas.
We must resist laying out all the knowledge available in favour of allowing space for new knowledge and perspectives to form and grow. We must then collect and reinterpret that knowledge.
In short, we must make our museums places it would seem inconceivable never to have been to, so that they become part of people’s identity and self-value.
It is only people and the ideas and knowledge they bring to objects that give them meaning, so ultimately our museums have to be about people.
John Stewart-Young is arts and heritage manager for Dundee City Council
