Designing Interactive Museum Exhibition

Polniwati Salim

, Sri Rachmayanti

and Christianto Roesli

Interior Design Department, School of Design, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia 11480

Keywords: Interactive Museum, Interior Design.

Abstract: Museum as a place to store collection objects for research and pleasure nowadays grows rapidly. Many

young people today are very fluent in the modern technology. Meanwhile a lot of museums now a day still

looks a lot less up to date. How is the museum effort in maintaining the sustainability of it to interest the

visitors. This paper explores modern art museums focusing how the application of modern digital

technology in those museum to attract more young visitors. This research uses field observation method,

field experiments and literature study supported by drawings obtained from the field observation and

literature. Observation of the field by conducting surveys at several museums, museum of science Salt

Museum in Tokyo and MACAN museum (Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara) in the city of

Jakarta. The results show that the design of interactive digital technology applied in the modern

contemporary art museum attracts visitors. Expected with interactive design in the museum can increase

visitor interest.

1 INTRODUCTION

The museum is a place to exhibit, to collect,

preserve, take care, document historical objects or

introduce unique objects to the public. Not only

ancient objects but also modern objects that have

high artistic value for example. The definition of the

museum according to ICOM, International Council

of Museums: “A museum is a non-profit, permanent

institution in the service of society and its

development, open to the public, which acqui res,

conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits

the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and

its environment for the purposes of education, study

and enjoyment” (ICOM, 2018). Meanwhile,

according to Ambroise. T: "A Museum in an

institution which collects, documents, preserves,

exhibits, and interpret material evidence and

associated information for the public benefit”

(Ambrose, T., & Paine, 1993). While the definition

of conservation is business maintenance,

maintenance, repair, prevention and care of

collectibles of the causes of damage.

The museum can be divided into several

categories including public museum, museum

national, provincial museum, local museum,

archeology museum, art museum, biography

museum, children museum, history museum,

ethnology museum and others museum based on the

collection.

The Museum serves as a place to develop the

availability of scientific research objects as well as

facilitators for those who need information related

to. In addition, the museum is in charge of providing

the answers for such research activities and spread

the results of research for the development of

science. The museum problem in digital era is the

lack of adaptation to the latest technology. This

research wants to answer and give examples of how

the museums maintaining their sustainability to

interest the visitors. It seems there are still many

museums that do not catch up the modern era and

growing technology now a day. Meanwhile the

younger generation is so familiar with advance

technology and eager to do experience more.

Researchers pointed a museum located in Tokyo,

museum of science Salt and Tobacco Museum and

MACAN museum (Modern And Contemporary Art

in Nusantara) in the city of Jakarta. These two

museums apply some interactive digital system for

the visitor to get closed and experience the messages

from the museum.

Salim, P., Rachmayanti, S. and Roesli, C.

Designing Interactive Museum Exhibition.

DOI: 10.5220/0010006300002917

In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Social Sciences, Laws, Arts and Humanities (BINUS-JIC 2018), pages 269-272

ISBN: 978-989-758-515-9

269

2 METHOD

This research uses field observation method, field

experiments and literature study supported by

drawings obtained from the field observation and

literature. Observation of the field by conducting

surveys at several museums, museum of science Salt

Museum in Tokyo and MACAN museum (Modern

and Contemporary Art in Nusantara) in the city of

Jakarta. Both museums serve as an example because

they have succeeded in using an interactive system

on their exhibition displays to convey the messages.

Field experiment is conducted in a real situation. In

field experiments researchers can do the experiment

by himself and practice some interactive ways either

with the digital technology or manually. From this

experience of trying directly, the visitor will get the

messages or lessons delivered in those museums.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

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In earlier times, the kind of communication

applied in is one direction communication, which in

communication theory, it means the communication

that does not occur interaction between visitors and

display exhibition. Visitor was only as a spectator

passive. They had only one choice, saw the object

already prepared by the curator museum or often

called as curatorial hypodermics (Hooper-Greenhill,

1994). It also said that on a fair traditional, the

museum and designers just prepare the contents of

exhibitions with consistent display.

Some museum obstacles in maintaining the

sustainability are: monotone display techniques, the

absence of two-way interaction between visitors and

museum collections, the weakness of the museum's

maintenance and management system, and lack of

the visitor’s awareness of museums.

The best quality for all visitors regardless of the

background and their interests will get information

and a similar experience. This is why the museum in

the old time failed to communicate with the visitors.

At the moment, communication theory one direction

start left, replaced by a new conception that lead to

models of communication interpersonal. Visitors are

invited to actively and can be directly involved in a

fair. One of them is museum recently participatory

(Simon, 2010). In this program the museum or

institution supports the multidimensional experience

of visitors. Museums only serve as a 'foundation'

linking visitors, where visitors can act as designers,

dealers, users, critics, and collaborators of the

exhibit. This means the museum can’t guarantee the

uniformity and consistency of the visitor experience

as it does in traditional exhibitions. On the other

hand the museum provides an opportunity for

visitors from diverse backgrounds and interests to

create and produce mutual experiences (Ury, 2002).

It mentions this type of museum is a postmodern

museum. Visitors are no longer just expected to

stand uprightly admire an exhibit object but also to

participate actively in an exhibition.

Two-way interpersonal communication model

can be achieved through educational programs,

participatory, living interpretation, and interactive

exhibitions through various media such as audio-

visual, touch screen and multimedia. Current

technological advances strongly support the

development of this kind of exhibition. With the

application of interpersonal communication model

of a museum becomes more interesting. Museum not

only has the function of education but also has the

values of entertainment, recreation, and relaxation so

that the purpose of visiting the museum and the

public expectations of the museum will be achieved.

There are three levels of interaction based on the

quality of learning (Schweir, 1993). The three levels

in full are shown in the table.

Table 1: Interactive levels based on learning quality.

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Figure

1: Interactive levels based on learning quality.

Development of interactive multimedia learning

is a level of interaction that should not be exclusive,

but can be combined several levels of interaction.

These interaction levels are hierarchical, meaning

the highest mutual interaction quality, and the lowest

reactive interaction quality (Soemarto, 2005).

In the current era of computers, where the

younger generation is very familiar with the use of

gadgets and computers, museum must adapted with

the development of technology. It is an effort for not

abandoned by visitors, especially from younger age

visitors. Building interactive museum can be a

powerful tool to build visitor engagement. It is

important to identifying what factors that make them

successful, and can significantly contribute to a

museum’s long-term relationship with the visitors. It

is a good opportunity and nice attraction, in using

interactive museum. It can attract more visitors to

come. In this study, surveys have been conducted to

several museums using interactive techniques in

delivering messages to visitors. Interactive

techniques provide an opportunity for museum

visitors to experience themselves.

As in the examples below, in the Salt and

Tobacco museum in Tokyo, Japan, we can find a

table from a touch screen computer, on both sides of

the compound they served preparations plates

containing of salt samples from various countries.

When visitors want to know more about salt in one

plate preparations, they can move the plate on the

touch screen table. Computer screen will react by

releasing data about where the salt comes from, how

is the salt content and so on.

Figure 2: Interactive computer system in salt and tobacco

museum, Tokyo.

The description of the Figure 2 is as follows: left

side is a figure of salt preparation plate. In the

middle figure shows the salt plates placed on the

computer. The right figure shows the location data

where salt is taken. In addition of computerizing a

museum, an interactive system can developed not

only using computers help, but also can be done

manually as in the example below. An example is

taken from the salt museum in Tokyo city. Using

human body image, the museum describes to visitors

how importance salt to the human body, and how

much salt in human body needs, and how much salt

contained in human bones, in human blood. There is

a hole that is covered by leather sheet in parts of the

human body.

At the front of the leather, we can find the

question: how much salt that content in human

bones. So the visitor just lifted up the leather cover

and could find the answer in an acrylic-covered hole,

how much salt in the human body, represented by a

bottle of kitchen salt and the size in grams, which is

84 grams of salt. This manual interactive quite

interesting and also urge the curiosity of the visitors

to find their own answers.

Figure 3: Interactive manual system in salt and tobacco

museum, Tokyo.

The picture descriptions as follows: the left side

figure is an image of the human body with a

description of why salt is important for human

bones. The middle one of the figure is a pink leather

cover with the question ‘how much salt content in

human bones?’ meanwhile the right side of figure 3

is when the leather cover opened and the answer will

be found, the salt content in human bones is 84

grams or the equivalent a small bottle of salt.

Not only in science-themed museums required

have interactive in presenting their contents. In art

museums such as Modern and Contemporary Art in

Nusantara (MACAN Museum) in Jakarta. Some

displays are presented in an interactive way. For

example, a rectangular form in 2 m x 1 m wide

dimensions is provided. On the four sides of the

rectangular they provided several tiny holes with

different heights. So that visitors with a certain

height can choose the appropriate hole with their

height. The hole is made so small that visitors can

only peek with one eye. Inside the hole visitor can

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271

see an art works that made with combinations

material of lights and mirrors, so the colors and

shapes can change following the light bulb with

different colors that on and off in sequence time.

The artwork view can be seen in the picture below.

Figure 4: I want to love on festival an interactive display

in MACAN museum, Jakarta.

In other areas, we can find other art objects

packaged in a room. We can only enter in this room

for 15 seconds, then have to alternate with other

visitors. Inside the room we find that all sides of

room has been coated with Yayoi Kusama artist

artwork. All walls, ceiling and floor were covering

in yellow with lots of black dots. On the center of

the room mounted mirrors with many sides, so that

visitors will find themselves besieged in the artwork

is yellow and black. During the allotted time,

visitors can take photos using hand phone camera,

but are not allowed to use flash lights.

Figure 5: Mirror room (pumpkin) an interactive display in

MACAN museum, Jakarta.

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reserved area.

The form should be completed and signed by one

author on behalf of all the other authors.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Museum as a place to keep the artworks, painting,

photograph has a social function that allows visitor

to do social interaction among the visitor. Visitors

can enjoy the artwork not only passively, but can

also be actively in direct contact with the artwork on

display. The design of interactive digital technology

applied in the modern contemporary art museum

attracts visitors.

Museums in today's digital era must be able to

adapt to technological advances. Modern society has

been very eloquent and close to digital technology.

In order to attract visitors to come to the museum to

get information or just look at the collection, it can

be by using digital technology. Thus, today's society

dominated by young people will be more interested

to visit the museum. The expectation is with the

interactive design in museum can increase visitor

interest.

This research contribution for museum in

Indonesia: museum display is not only shows in one

direction, it should stimulate more than one sense by

using advanced technology in order to maintain the

sustainability of museum.

REFERENCES

Ambrose, T., & Paine, C. (1993) Museum Basics. Oxon:

Routledge.

Hooper-Greenhill, E. (1994) The Educational Role of the

Museum. London: Routledge.

ICOM (2018) International Council of Museum, Museum

Definition Online. Available at:

http://icom.museum/the-vision/museum-definition/.

Schweir, R. A. (1993) Interactive Multimedia Instruction.

New Jersey: Educational Technology Publications.

Simon, N. (2010) ‘The participatory Museum’.

Soemarto, S. (2005) ‘Pengembangan Multimedia

Pembelajaran Interaktif Mata Kuliah Tata Hidang’,

Jurnal Inotek, 9(10), pp. 1–122.

Ury, J. (2002) The tourist Gaze: Leisure and Travel in

Contemporary Societies. London: Sage.

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