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The Interactive Museum and Its Non-Human Actants

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The Interactive Museum and Its Non-Human Actants NORDISK MUSEOLOGI 2011 ● 1, S. 45-59 The interactive museum and its non-human actants JONATHAN WESTIN* Abstract: This explorative study highlights the different strands of interactive learning technologies available to museums and educational institutions, and analyzes their function as non-human actants from a perspective of power and discipline. Through a generalized symmetry I describe a specific technology – the interactive display – as an actant exercising the same autonomy as the other actants. This raises the non-human actant to the same level as the human actants and emphasizes how it controls an equal part of the communication. In this way I try to map out how an exchange is manifested through a network of actants where the technologies conserve the inquiring actant’s knowledge space rather than broaden it. Despite being offered as a technology to make the visitor heard, the result is as curated as the classic exhibition. I conclude that by themselves, interactive displays do not challenge authority at museums but instead reinforce it. Key words: Interactivity, non-human actant, technology, communikation. Scene 1: The visitor contemplates the re- variation comes a bibliography of publications construction in front of her. It is a digital that support or discuss that very interpretation. rendition of the Sanctuary of Hercules Victor. At She scribbles down the name of an article that first glance it looks static, but then she notices that seems interesting (Sanctuary of Hercules Victor). it is slowly changing into an alternative interpretation of the same space. And then another Scene 2: A coloured trail winds through the one! This catches her eye. The visualization is landscape. It pulsates and beckons. She starts open; she can interchange various elements or running, following it over rocks, crossing a brook completely remove them. She can cycle between and in through the trees. Suddenly she sees her different versions of the same scene and choose goal; a stag! Motionless they stand observing each from a library of available media presenting other, looking for signs of imminent action. How different aspects of the sanctuary; sound clips, can she notify her pack about her prey? She pushes animations and text. As she cycles between the the H-key and howls. Seconds later the land is different elements of the visualization – removing alive with responses. It was very effective. Exiting a wooden structure here and changing the colours the simulation she seeks more information about of a wall there – she notices that with every this behaviour online (WolfQuest). JONATHAN WESTIN 46 Interactivity, learn-through-play, participatory realization of a two-way communication elements, community building and augmented brought on by an unchecked technology- reality; technologies all at the heart of the deterministic way of thinking. The technology future of exhibitions. Not to be perceived as in these ‘spaces of interaction’ – described as stale, many museums are slowly embracing the two distinct scenes above—constitutes a non- post-modern notion that history – and society human actant that forces certain questions and – is a multitude of conflicting and unique subdues others, turning an infinite number of voices and that the museum should be a possibilities into a pre-programmed few. The meeting place where these can be made heard focus this creates is an effective tool in (Westin 2009). In this tradition they nurture a education since it establishes a controlled positive wish to position the exhibition as milieu which allows for exploration within set a heterogeneous dialogue instead of a limitations leading to the exact series of homogeneous monologue – a communication conclusions that are being taught. Without where the visitor’s voice is an important aspect question, technology allows for new ways of of the exhibition and should therefore be reaching and teaching an audience (as engaged. Technology in the shape of the exemplified in Kahr-Højland 2007; Hazan interactive digital display is often seen as the 2007; Kenderdine 2007; Awouters et al 2009; most fitting instrument to establish this Anzai 2009; Cooper et al 2009), but it prevents dialogue (Witcomb 2007; Santillo Frizell and new solutions from being expressed. Westin 2009). In this new milieu, the visitor is The aim of this exploratory study is to free to choose her own path, sort through highlight two different strands of interactive conflicting reasonings and shape her own teaching/learning technologies and analyze experience. Where a museum visit was once a their function as non-human actant from a collective experience where a common perspective of power and discipline, as objective message, pace and order were set, the described by Michael Foucault (Foucault 1978. interactive display allows for alternative Discussed in Westin 2009). By putting focus subjective narrations. on power exercised by both sentient and non- Susan Hazan argues that media applications sentient actants, I try to map out how an idea serve to “enhance and extend the museum is manifested through a network where the mandate in novel ways, and even open up new technologies – to the same extent as the possibilities for those who may have humans – uphold a knowledge space and conceptualized themselves outside of the enforce it (see Latour 1992; Ivarsson 2010). museum, to be able to find a way in” (Hazan Furthermore, this study attempts to explain the 2007: 134),. This article shares this sentiment, practical ramifications of moving the but my view differs when it comes to the media communication to an interactive milieu where applications’ function as interpreters of action has to be represented. While the information. Far from being neutral forces, I technology in the network seemingly allows argue that although these participatory action, it is its capacity to forbid action – to technologies are aimed at improving limit – that makes it an interesting actant we communication and education, they are above can follow. These limitations shape our all else a disciplinary force – an impoverished interaction with what is presented through the THE INTERACTIVE MUSEUM AND ITS NON-HUMAN ACTANTS representation in the virtual space of the first I try to define what technology is in a 47 display, and decide what can and what cannot museum context, while I in the second describe be expressed. A representation is a rethought and analyze two empirical studies of interactive substitution for an event – not the event itself communication in an attempt to argue my – where a layer of interpretation and focus has thesis. The interactive spaces studied have been been added. Hence, the complexity of an event chosen for their diversity as well as the amount is displaced by a manageable representation of material they have afforded. Though they are that can be communicated, but is in this act not presently deployed at any museum, they translated to something new. represent two typical examples of interactivity I argue that you can never directly act in the aimed at communicating research to an interactive space, only choose between a series informed third party. They have their technical of predefined re-actions, which translates that counterparts in numerous museums around the interactivity subject to this study is not the world and will be a common sight in future about releasing power, but about forcing exhibitions. The first of the two spaces, the certain answers. This is a problem when an Sanctuary of Hercules Victor, has been co- exhibition wishes to use interactivity as a developed by the author as part of an technology to entice an audience to enter a interdisciplinary research project on heritage dialogue, since – as this paper proposes – digital management and communication – giving interactivity does not in its current form access to both the reasoning behind it and its support that kind of communication. As a technical specifications – while the second growing number of museums and educational interactive space, WolfQuest, has been institutions move their communicative thoroughly studied from its inception to its ambitions into a digital space, a lack of present state. The interactive display of the understanding about the non-human actants Sanctuary of Hercules Victor was presented at a that reside in most communicative technology press event in Rome 2009 at the Swedish could result in a dialogue that is conservative Institute of Classical Studies on the occasion of rather than progressive. It is therefore a state visit by the King and Queen of Sweden. important when designing interactive displays Present were the Swedish Minister of that the limitations of interactivity are Education, the Soprintendenza Archeologica di recognized, since they constitute a disciplining Roma e del Lazio and representatives from of the subject not always intended. To several of the foreign scientific institutes in discipline the communication between two Rome. Since then, the display has been subjects is in itself not wrong, and it can be presented at various institutes internationally as argued that it is often the preferred model, but an example of the possibilities of interactive digital interactivity should be revised or displays and how they could be used in a combined with other venues of communication museum setting. It demonstrated how a in situations where it is important that the representation shapes our perception of an opinion – or knowledge – of a visitor can be occurrence, and how the visual language could expressed. be used to encourage the audience to In terms of structure, I approach this issue by understand that there exist many possible dividing the article into two main parts. In the interpretations. WolfQuest is a freely available JONATHAN WESTIN 48 precursor to the immersive digital systems that simply behave. An actant, like a representations of historic settings thought to machine or technology, could consist of several become a common sight at many museums in micro-actants important to the macro-actant the future as collections give way for context.
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