Professional paper

ANIMATING THE CONTENTS OF MUSEUMS – FRAMEWORK FOR THE IDENTIFIABILITY OF A MUSEUM

Renata Brezinščak ; Hrvatski prirodoslovni muzej, Zagreb

Abstract

The paper presents the museum and its activity as directed
to the public, and the reasons for the every greater popularity
of and attendance at the museum are considered. The understanding and perception of the museum have obtained a new
dimension in the last decade, particularly at the present time.
Museums are changing. Not so long ago they were peaceful,
calm institutions meant only for study and for work on the
collections, while today they are lively and vital institutions in
which various programmes unfold, educational, promotional
and musical, for instance.
The paper aims to show that entertainment and amusement,
at first merely supplementary to the classical exhibitions,
later, as increasingly important parts of museum set-ups,
have tended to make museums ever more popular and thus
attract a greater number of visitors. Although the collection is
still the most important part of the museum activity, thanks to
other methods and new technologies, it is today more accessible, more understandable to the general public. Interactive
and entertaining contents draw a diverse audience, and thus
occupy more and more places within the museum displays,
which has resulted in increased numbers of people visiting
the museums, as well as an alteration of their perception
in public. For a museum this is an advantage (an increase
in attendance) but also a drawback (the collection and the
object are in second place). Museums are privileged establishments for they can unite seriousness with amusement.
Knowledge and imagination united turn museums into places
of interest in which leisure time can be spent, visitors being
happy to come more than once. Great importance attaches to
museum education, a specific activity within the organisational structure of a museum.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

176883

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/176883

Publication date:

2.9.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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