The Activist Museum?

At first glance, activism in museums sounds like just the agency we need to have an impact. But I wonder if this notion actually leads us down a rather exclusive path.

Agonistic Interpretation and Decolonising Museums

Decolonisation is so much more than provenance research and potential restitution. Lal Davies' powerful intervention makes me want to push the boundaries of agonistic spaces.

Museum Spaces and the Visitor Experience

I've spent the last month in conversation with the team about our spaces at the National Waterfront Museum. It's the first step in redeveloping them.

Museum: Place and Story

Historic buildings can be a real asset in telling local history - something worth remembering when they are adapted for museum use, as I argue in this review of the Hällisch-Fränkisches Museum in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany.

Online Storytelling

A recent piece on The Guardian website is worth looking at for ideas on digital storytelling and exhibitions on museum websites.

Games and Interpretation

I have recently read the book Das Neue Lernen heißt Verstehen (New Learning means Understanding) by German neurobiologist Henning Beck. He develops the idea of understanding as the goal of learning from the study of how our brains work. Scholars like David Perkins [1] have developed a similar concept of understanding as performance from studying … Continue reading Games and Interpretation →

Interpretation 101, Or: Show ‘Em Why We’re Here

Sometimes I walk through a museum or visitor centre and wonder, why are we here? This is the more frustrating at a site like Keltenwelt am Glauberg where, according to its own interpretation, they discovered a ‘scientific sensation’. So I’m feeling inspired to write another ‘Interpretation 101’ post, using Keltenwelt am Glauberg, and specifically its … Continue reading Interpretation 101, Or: Show ‘Em Why We’re Here →

Immersive Interpretation

The current issue of the British Museum Association’s Museum Journal features an article about the American Museum of Natural History in New York. In it, it makes mention of what sounds like an incredible piece of interpretation focusing on the connections within the natural world that are too small for us to see with our … Continue reading Immersive Interpretation →

Storytelling History II: The Erwin Hymer Museum

It is a rare occasion that I walk through a museum and smile with joy about how the story is told. My recent visit to the Erwin Hymer Museum (of camper vans) was one such occasion. The very first contact with the exhibition is as informative as it is fun. A few words of welcome, … Continue reading Storytelling History II: The Erwin Hymer Museum →

Back to Basics: Interpretation 101

Yesterday was my first time visiting the Castle at Ellwangen and its small museum. As far as I can gather, the castle itself is in the care of the State of Baden-Württemberg, at least it’s listed on their website and some of the signs make mention of the agency. The museum, which occupies but a … Continue reading Back to Basics: Interpretation 101 →