Forum, Depot, Maze: Toward a Plural Ecology of Museums

"Traditionally, a museum visit is a calendared occasion with a clearly scripted sequence. Arrival is ceremonially marked-by grand stairs or thresholds, by ticketing and information desks, by an audio guide and a concise institutional preface about mission and history. That deliberate "special occasion" quality extends from how museums were long conceived: deliberately exceptional, tightly curated, and organized around a specific narrative arc."

"Museums are undergoing a structural reorientation-from fixed, authoritative narratives to porous spatial ecologies that redistribute agency, visibility, and encounter. Previous institutions experimenting with open formats-most notably V&A East Storehouse and Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen-anchor a renewed argument for museum journeys as exploratory rather than purely instrumental through showcasing their well-treasured archive. As society shifts toward open-source modes of knowledge-inviting multiple readings, revisions, and rediscoveries-the spaces that house collections are likewise evolving."

Museum visits have traditionally been calendared occasions with scripted arrivals marked by grand thresholds, ticketing, audio guides, and concise institutional prefaces about mission and history. Museums are shifting from fixed, authoritative narratives toward porous spatial ecologies that redistribute agency, visibility, and encounter. Experimental open formats and visible archives recast journeys as exploratory rather than purely instrumental. Societal moves toward open-source knowledge favor multiple readings, revisions, and rediscoveries, elevating process alongside product. Galleries, archives, and back-of-house become visible. Museums are urged to shapeshift, release heavy curatorial intermediation, and enable visitors to be active participants.

Read at ArchDaily