Intercultural Dialogues in Third Spaces: A Study of Learning Experiences of Museum Visitors

Bodo (2012) called for the need of museum exhibitions to create “third spaces” where individuals can cross the boundaries of belonging (both physical and psychological) to engage in intercultural dialogues. The imaginary cultural space of museum has propelled us into a realization that we are in an era where interculturality, transculturalism, and the eventual prospect of identifying a cosmopolitan citizenship can become a reality. Predicated on a five-month ethnography work at a provincial museum in British Columbia, Canada, this research explores the following questions: how have cultural and historical museum exhibitions put us in contact with the other and foster an understanding of the other? And how has transculturalism led to the establishment of a cosmopolitan citizenship? This study lends support to the potentiality of a cultural and historical museum transforming into “third spaces” where visitors may actively engage in exploration of complex multitudes of cultural identities and cosmopolitan citizenship. The findings of this study contribute to the literature on “third spaces” and transculturalism by providing an empirical study of learning experiences of visitors in museums. It reaffirms the notion of transculturalism by proposing a new humanism in recognition of the other, and in expressing oneself in a conscious subjective manner with cultural empathy. From a practical perspective, it suggests that in order to encourage international visitors to cross the cultural and psychological boundaries and engage in dialogues, the museum professionals may design interactive programs in a creative manner. It also suggests that museum administrators improve their services to more diverse groups of visitors to enhance inclusiveness.

Pendampingan perancangan ruang pamer museum dr.AK.Gani pada pameran bersama Museum Negeri Sumatera Selatan

A successful exhibition cannot be separated from the proper arrangement of the exhibition space. A good exhibition space arrangement will generate interest from exhibition visitors. Moreover, what if the exhibition is a museum exhibition. The arrangement of museum exhibitions requires a more complex arrangement. South Sumatra Province held a joint exhibition which various state museums throughout South Sumatra attended. Because various museums attend it, a good exhibition space arrangement is needed to present an optimal exhibition space so that it is attractive to visitors and is not inferior to other museums in the exhibition. Therefore, this service aims to assist dr.AK.Gani Museum as a partner to organize its exhibition space to make it more optimal. The community service activities offered at this activity are assistance in designing informative brochures and showing off collections. Exhibition activities went well and safely following health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, attended by various students and the general public. The activity method includes focus group discussions, exhibition room design, and effective exhibition space design implementation to produce the dr.AK.Gani Museum exhibition design has been implemented at the 2020 Joint Exhibition at the South Sumatra State Museum

Wonderful Worth & Worthy Wonder: The revival of a forgotten concept to strike a balance in technological exhibition design

<p>As museums develop their roles as social and political forces, the role of the exhibition designer has evolved and become more complex. The new role demands increased consideration as new technologies impact the demand for recreational learning experiences (Lake-Hammond & White, 2015). Nearly thirty years ago Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stephen Greenblatt introduced the terms ‘resonance and wonder’ to describe the viewer’s experience and connection to the exhibits. Greenblatt asserted both ‘resonance and wonder’ as essential to an exhibition experience but stressed the need for a balance between the two (1991). The significance of Greenblatt’s perspective has become more prominent with the current shift in museum exhibitions that engage technological forms of representation. This study asserts that Greenblatt’s argument continues to be relevant today, as museum professionals arbitrate the balances and imbalances posed between resonance, now interpreted as worth, and wonder. The terms were first defined through thematic analysis to identify consistent elements that produce the concepts and further applied to the narrative analysis on perspectives of technological integration in museums. Using the broader contemporary definitions of ‘wonder and worth’ this research then applied what was learned from the literature to a physical context by analysing use of wonder and worth in two current exhibitions; Te Papa’s 2015 “Gallipoli: Scale of Our War” and Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum’s 2014 interactive pen design. In doing so the main finding suggested that the balance of wonder and worth can be achieved through encouraging a human connection and empathy which can be extended with the use of new technologies that are appropriate for the intent of the exhibit. These findings were delivered in the form of a manifesto to facilitate the exhibition design process, encourage consideration for the balance between wonder and worth and lessen the stigma around technological representation in museums.</p>

Wonderful Worth & Worthy Wonder: The revival of a forgotten concept to strike a balance in technological exhibition design

<p>As museums develop their roles as social and political forces, the role of the exhibition designer has evolved and become more complex. The new role demands increased consideration as new technologies impact the demand for recreational learning experiences (Lake-Hammond & White, 2015). Nearly thirty years ago Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stephen Greenblatt introduced the terms ‘resonance and wonder’ to describe the viewer’s experience and connection to the exhibits. Greenblatt asserted both ‘resonance and wonder’ as essential to an exhibition experience but stressed the need for a balance between the two (1991). The significance of Greenblatt’s perspective has become more prominent with the current shift in museum exhibitions that engage technological forms of representation. This study asserts that Greenblatt’s argument continues to be relevant today, as museum professionals arbitrate the balances and imbalances posed between resonance, now interpreted as worth, and wonder. The terms were first defined through thematic analysis to identify consistent elements that produce the concepts and further applied to the narrative analysis on perspectives of technological integration in museums. Using the broader contemporary definitions of ‘wonder and worth’ this research then applied what was learned from the literature to a physical context by analysing use of wonder and worth in two current exhibitions; Te Papa’s 2015 “Gallipoli: Scale of Our War” and Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum’s 2014 interactive pen design. In doing so the main finding suggested that the balance of wonder and worth can be achieved through encouraging a human connection and empathy which can be extended with the use of new technologies that are appropriate for the intent of the exhibit. These findings were delivered in the form of a manifesto to facilitate the exhibition design process, encourage consideration for the balance between wonder and worth and lessen the stigma around technological representation in museums.</p>

Centennial Stances: Museums, Morals and the First World War

<p>This thesis examines the extent to which New Zealand’s Centennial Great War exhibitions impact visitor perceptions, particularly those regarding their personal moral values. Two case studies are used, in order to inform discussions on the current and desired roles of New Zealand museums in relation to activism. While this research aims to provide New Zealand museums with more relevant findings than literature gaps currently allow, any discussions and recommendations may be more broadly applied to other countries. Similarly, despite a focus on the topical and largely publicised subject of WWI ‘100 years on’, discussions and recommendations are also relevant to general queries regarding museum representations, visitor interpretations and activism in museums. This research also intends to emphasise the benefits of interdisciplinary research by including museological, criminological and, to a lesser extent, philosophical literature. The research methods used within the two case studies can be broadly separated into three parts. First, a thick description method is used to provide in-depth overviews of The Great War Exhibition and Te Papa Tongarewa’s Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War. This section attempts to present a largely unbiased description of Great War representation in New Zealand’s capital. Second, the interpretations of ten visitors from each exhibition are gathered in the form of researcher-accompanied, audio-recorded visits. Such a research method intends to extract visitor thought processes in a relatively fluid and natural way. Finally, visitor questionnaires taken at the conclusion of each visit provide information on visitor demographics and overall thoughts regarding the exhibition, war itself and any inclusion of activism in museums. Alongside museum studies literature, criminological literature and debates are referenced to explain and exemplify the plentiful and diverse perceptions surrounding war. Overall, this study found most participants to be wary of activism in museum exhibitions. However, it also found that New Zealand museum visitors tended to possess a strong desire to determine their own moral perceptions through exposure to as many alternative narratives as possible. Therefore, any opposition to activism is not, in this case, due to any overriding wishes to favour ‘traditional narratives’. It is consequentially recommended that emphasis be put on clarity, transparency and multi-narrative approaches in museum exhibitions, as visitors appear to so strongly value their right to autonomous interpretation.</p>

Centennial Stances: Museums, Morals and the First World War

<p>This thesis examines the extent to which New Zealand’s Centennial Great War exhibitions impact visitor perceptions, particularly those regarding their personal moral values. Two case studies are used, in order to inform discussions on the current and desired roles of New Zealand museums in relation to activism. While this research aims to provide New Zealand museums with more relevant findings than literature gaps currently allow, any discussions and recommendations may be more broadly applied to other countries. Similarly, despite a focus on the topical and largely publicised subject of WWI ‘100 years on’, discussions and recommendations are also relevant to general queries regarding museum representations, visitor interpretations and activism in museums. This research also intends to emphasise the benefits of interdisciplinary research by including museological, criminological and, to a lesser extent, philosophical literature. The research methods used within the two case studies can be broadly separated into three parts. First, a thick description method is used to provide in-depth overviews of The Great War Exhibition and Te Papa Tongarewa’s Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War. This section attempts to present a largely unbiased description of Great War representation in New Zealand’s capital. Second, the interpretations of ten visitors from each exhibition are gathered in the form of researcher-accompanied, audio-recorded visits. Such a research method intends to extract visitor thought processes in a relatively fluid and natural way. Finally, visitor questionnaires taken at the conclusion of each visit provide information on visitor demographics and overall thoughts regarding the exhibition, war itself and any inclusion of activism in museums. Alongside museum studies literature, criminological literature and debates are referenced to explain and exemplify the plentiful and diverse perceptions surrounding war. Overall, this study found most participants to be wary of activism in museum exhibitions. However, it also found that New Zealand museum visitors tended to possess a strong desire to determine their own moral perceptions through exposure to as many alternative narratives as possible. Therefore, any opposition to activism is not, in this case, due to any overriding wishes to favour ‘traditional narratives’. It is consequentially recommended that emphasis be put on clarity, transparency and multi-narrative approaches in museum exhibitions, as visitors appear to so strongly value their right to autonomous interpretation.</p>

A History of Video Games

<p>This research begins with the premise that while video-games have become a pervasive cultural force over the last four decades, there is still a dearth of educational and historical material regarding the emergence of video game home consoles and their content. Games have an extensive history, dating back to early radar displays and oscilloscopes of the 1960s (Tennis for Two, 1958) and early home video game consoles of the 1970s (Magnavox Odyssey, 1972). From the JAMMA (Japanese Amusement Machine and Marketing Association) arcade standard of the 80s to the high powered processors of Sonys PS4, video games have come a long way and left a wealth of audio-visual material in their wake. Much of this material, however, is archived and engaged within a traditional manner: through text books or museum exhibitions (Games Master, ACMI 2015). Through interactive design however, this data can be made easily comprehensible and accessible as interactive data-visualisation content. This design research project explores processes of data visualization, interactive design and video game production to open up video game history and communicate its developmental stages in a universally accessible manner. Though there has been research conducted utilising game engines for visualizations in other fields (from landscape architecture to bio-medical science) it has rarely been used to visualize the history of gaming itself. This visualization (utilising the Unreal Engine and incorporating historical video content) creates an accessible preservation and catalogue of video game history, and an interactive graphical interface that allows users to easily learn and understand the history of console development and the processes that lead video games to their current state.</p>

A History of Video Games

<p>This research begins with the premise that while video-games have become a pervasive cultural force over the last four decades, there is still a dearth of educational and historical material regarding the emergence of video game home consoles and their content. Games have an extensive history, dating back to early radar displays and oscilloscopes of the 1960s (Tennis for Two, 1958) and early home video game consoles of the 1970s (Magnavox Odyssey, 1972). From the JAMMA (Japanese Amusement Machine and Marketing Association) arcade standard of the 80s to the high powered processors of Sonys PS4, video games have come a long way and left a wealth of audio-visual material in their wake. Much of this material, however, is archived and engaged within a traditional manner: through text books or museum exhibitions (Games Master, ACMI 2015). Through interactive design however, this data can be made easily comprehensible and accessible as interactive data-visualisation content. This design research project explores processes of data visualization, interactive design and video game production to open up video game history and communicate its developmental stages in a universally accessible manner. Though there has been research conducted utilising game engines for visualizations in other fields (from landscape architecture to bio-medical science) it has rarely been used to visualize the history of gaming itself. This visualization (utilising the Unreal Engine and incorporating historical video content) creates an accessible preservation and catalogue of video game history, and an interactive graphical interface that allows users to easily learn and understand the history of console development and the processes that lead video games to their current state.</p>

The State of Play: An Exploration of Games and Their Value in museum Exhibitions

<p>In the field of museum studies there has been very little consideration of games and their application to exhibiting practice. This represents a significant gap in the theory on current museum practice given the frequency of games in exhibitions and the scale of the commercial games industry in contemporary culture. This study begins to redress this issue by exploring how a significant and influential museum operating within the paradigm of the new museology views the role of games in its exhibitions. The thesis considers the central research question: what do practitioners currently think about games in museum exhibitions and how could museum games be improved. Following an interpretivist methodology the study seeks to answer this question through a case study of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Seven practitioners affiliated with this museum were interviewed about their understanding of games and their application in a museum context. The research findings illuminate the current understanding of games held by these practitioners and factors that inhibit the successful implementation of games at Te Papa. It was found that the practitioners’ opinions had not been influenced by the available theoretical literature on games. It was also found that practitioners thought games in exhibitions at the museum have not been particularly successful in achieving either the goals of exhibitions or the potential that games offer. It is concluded that the introduction of theories on play and on games into museum theory and practice has potential for significant advances in this area of exhibition development. In contemporary museums there is a shift away from presenting absolute, positivist understandings of knowledge toward the subjective, construction of meaning. Museums are also increasingly required to maintain economic efficacy while offering a valuable service to the populace. This thesis responds to this situation by proposing that a greater knowledge and utilisation of games in exhibitions offers a valuable approach in negotiating these two trends. By presenting an understanding of games, their potential value for museums and perspectives on what currently inhibits their successful application this research offers the field of museum studies a basis from which to develop knowledge of this under-theorised aspect of museum practice.</p>

The State of Play: An Exploration of Games and Their Value in museum Exhibitions

<p>In the field of museum studies there has been very little consideration of games and their application to exhibiting practice. This represents a significant gap in the theory on current museum practice given the frequency of games in exhibitions and the scale of the commercial games industry in contemporary culture. This study begins to redress this issue by exploring how a significant and influential museum operating within the paradigm of the new museology views the role of games in its exhibitions. The thesis considers the central research question: what do practitioners currently think about games in museum exhibitions and how could museum games be improved. Following an interpretivist methodology the study seeks to answer this question through a case study of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Seven practitioners affiliated with this museum were interviewed about their understanding of games and their application in a museum context. The research findings illuminate the current understanding of games held by these practitioners and factors that inhibit the successful implementation of games at Te Papa. It was found that the practitioners’ opinions had not been influenced by the available theoretical literature on games. It was also found that practitioners thought games in exhibitions at the museum have not been particularly successful in achieving either the goals of exhibitions or the potential that games offer. It is concluded that the introduction of theories on play and on games into museum theory and practice has potential for significant advances in this area of exhibition development. In contemporary museums there is a shift away from presenting absolute, positivist understandings of knowledge toward the subjective, construction of meaning. Museums are also increasingly required to maintain economic efficacy while offering a valuable service to the populace. This thesis responds to this situation by proposing that a greater knowledge and utilisation of games in exhibitions offers a valuable approach in negotiating these two trends. By presenting an understanding of games, their potential value for museums and perspectives on what currently inhibits their successful application this research offers the field of museum studies a basis from which to develop knowledge of this under-theorised aspect of museum practice.</p>