What’s Keeping Museums from Telling Meaty, In-Depth Stories?

Original article by Nina SimonSummarized by Museum Hack

A great story can take you into another world.

But why aren't museums great at telling deep,

intense stories?

Why are exhibitions, which have huge potential as immersive, multi-platform narrative devices,

so rarely used to that effect?

Too often we use the weakest storytelling techniques: broad generalizations on 50 word labels.

Exhibitions could use:

Narrative Tools+

Objects+

Immersive Design+

Interactive Experiences

to tell GREAT stories.

Think about how common it is to see an exhibition that uses a variety of objects and narrative devices as guideposts, and how rare it is to see an in-depth experience around just one object.

We avoid the incredible power that

comes from a deep dive into

one story.

The most compelling stories exist around individual objects, but we weaken those stories by throwing too much in the same pot.

We justify this by arguing that we have to tell the broader story.

The individuals, the nuances, the specificity —the story—tattoos itself on your memory in a way that a generalized exhibition cannot.

While the story is tighter, the impact is less prescribed, and more powerful.

But tight doesn't have to mean limited.

When we experience

intense depthit stands out.

It's unforgettable.

Specificity trumps generality when it comes to creating

a powerful story.

“Into the Deep End: What’s Keeping Museums from

Telling Meaty, In-Depth Stories?”

Original article written by Nina Simon, Executive

Director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History,

and author of “The Participatory Museum”

Summarized by Museum Hack About, Company News, @MuseumHack on Twitter

Contact us at info@museumhack.com

Twitter: @ninaksimon