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Mobile Solutions and the Museum Experience MOBILE SOLUTIONS AND THE MUSEUM EXPERIENCE Annina Koskiola ___________________________________________________________________________ Department of Art History, Stockholm University Curating Art. International Master's Programme in Curating Art, including Management and Law Spring 2014 ABSTRACT Institution: Konstvetenskapliga institutionen vid Stockholms universitet Adress: 106 91 Stockholms universitet Tel: 08-16 20 00 vx Handledare: Christina Fredengren Titel och undertitel: Mobile solutions and the museum experience Författare: Annina Koskiola Adress: Mannerheimintie 81 B 62 Postadress: 00270 Helsinki, Finland Tel: +358403533131 Typ av uppsats: kandidatuppsats magisteruppsats X masteruppsats licentiatuppsats doktorsavhandling Ventileringstermin: VT 2014 This thesis presents four case studies from the Finnish museum sector that are using mobile technologies in diverse ways to enhance the museum experience. At the National Museum of Finland, the mobile solution functions as an aid for providing translations in different languages and thus improving the aesthetic appearance of the exhibition. At Tampere Art Museum, the outdoors mobile tour extends the museum visit outside the physical walls of the building. At Helsinki City Museum the mobile phone is perceived as a communication tool. At Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum the Augmented Reality game combines digital narrative with real-world events, creating a solution that is both entertaining and informative. These solutions are analysed in terms of the Contextual Model, developed by Falk and Dierking. The model divides the museum visit into three overlapping and interacting spheres – personal, social and physical. This thesis looks at how mobile solutions may enhance or hinder the museum experience in regards to each of these three spheres. Additionally, the model is compared with the results of a visitor research conducted at the National Museum of Finland in October 2013. The aim of the thesis is to identify the most successful features of these solutions and to explore how the field could be developed in the future. Sökord: mobile solution, app, museum experience, Contextual Model, Augmented Reality Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people and institutions: Christina Fredengren, my patient thesis supervisor and mentor, who inspired me to start exploring the world of mobile solutions in the museum sector, and whose detailed insights and comments have guided me through this process. Magdalena Holdar, Birgitta Åkerström and Jeff Werner for understanding and support throughout my studies The class of Curating Art 2012/2014 Tomi Nikander, Niko Tulilahti, Hanna Korhonen and rest of the staff at the National Museum of Finland Marja-Liisa Linder at Tampere Art Museum Mirella Lampela at Helsinki City Museum Olli-Pekka Leskinen at Turku Museum Centre Lauri Viinikkala at Futuristic History All the rest of museums, who have given me information about their mobile solutions Halina Gottlieb at NODEM, who let me participate in last year’s conference Mika Koskiola for the technical insights into the topic All the museum visitors, who gave me their time for an interview Marika Pietilä and Konsta Lövgren for providing me accommodation during my visits to Stockholm Jaakko Meriläinen for the never-ending support both academically and as a friend, and for lying to me about writing his thesis in 2 weeks and thus giving me hope. And all my friends and family for continuous support an encouragement TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Aim ............................................................................................................................... 4 Research questions ........................................................................................................ 4 Terminology .................................................................................................................. 5 Theory ........................................................................................................................... 6 Material and Method ..................................................................................................... 9 Previous research ........................................................................................................ 12 Delimitations ............................................................................................................... 16 Structure of the thesis ................................................................................................. 16 CASE STUDIES ............................................................................................................ 17 The spread of mobile solutions in Finland .................................................................. 17 Case study 1: “The Emerging World” by the National Museum of Finland .............. 19 Comparison with the Contextual Model ..............................................................22 Case study 2: “Tampere Gals” by the Tampere Art Museum .................................... 24 Comparison with the Contextual Model ..............................................................28 Case study 3: “Mad about Helsinki” by the Helsinki City Museum .......................... 30 Comparison with the Contextual Model ..............................................................34 Case study 4: Augmented Reality game at the Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum ...................................................................................................................... 36 Comparison with the Contextual Model ..............................................................41 VISITOR RESEARCH RESULTS ................................................................................ 44 General results ............................................................................................................ 44 Results according to age groups ................................................................................. 49 Under 20-year-old visitors ....................................................................................51 21-30-year-olds .......................................................................................................52 30-50-year-olds .......................................................................................................53 50-70-year-olds .......................................................................................................54 over 70-year-olds ....................................................................................................56 Comparison with the Contextual model ..................................................................... 57 ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS ................................................................................... 59 The physical aspect ..................................................................................................... 59 The personal aspect ..................................................................................................... 67 The social aspect ......................................................................................................... 72 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 78 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 80 BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................... 82 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ......................................................................................... 94 INTRODUCTION Introduction In 2014 mobile phone use has perforated all parts of the society all over the world. According to ITU and UN statistics, more people possess a mobile phone than a toilet.1 The number of mobile phone users at the end of 2013 was 6.8 billion, which, totalled to 96,2% of all the inhabitants of the world.2 What is of more interest in the scope of this thesis is the amount of mobile broadband connections. This number includes connections used for various portable devices, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and other gadgets that can be used to connect to the internet while moving around. The amount of those has exploded in the last couple of years, from 268 million to over 2 billion in 2013. Whereas in developing countries only one fifth of the population has a mobile broadband connection, in developed countries the number is 74,8 out of a 100. Even last year there was a 18,5% raise in the numbers, and since 2007 the number has tripled. By 2015, it is forecasted that mobile phones will overthrow computers as the main device used to connect to the Internet.3 We, living in the developed world, are used to carrying our mobile phones with us wherever we go, using them on a daily basis in our everyday life to send text messages, browse the Internet, play games, take pictures, share them on social media and even occasionally make phone calls.4 The majority of mobile phone owner carry it with them all the time.5 At the same time, mobile internet has also changed the way we perceive the world – we are not simply consumers of the media and culture around us, but also function as active
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