Local Visitors’ Engagement in Conventional and Technology-based

Exhibition Space

Anak Agung Ayu Wulandari

, Ulli Aulia Ruki

and Ade Ariyani Sari Fajarwati

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

Keywords: Digital Exhibition, Visitor Engagement.

Abstract: The last thirty years has seen museums structural reform and innovations due to the development of

technologies. The use of technology not only popular in modern museums abroad, but also in various

exhibition space in Indonesia. Not only used as part of exhibition, some even replaced all real objects with

digital and virtual objects. Past studies showed that contemporary visitors interested in a more interactive

technology based-exhibition. However, by replacing real objects with digital images or other interactive

technologies, how about the subject-object engagements? This study aims to analyse the engagement

between local visitor with objects in a conventional exhibition space and a technology-based exhibition

space through qualitative method with descriptive analysis method. The study shows visitors’ engagement

emerges not only because of the objects itself but also of its surroundings; the path and signage, the lighting

design, how the objects displayed and labelled will create certain engagement with its audience. Technology

will also give a great help to create subject-object engagement. However, to appreciate and really engaged

with the objects, audience still want to see real objects and not the digital substituted.

1 INTRODUCTION

In the past museum used as a centre of scholarship

and curatorial expertise, but at present museum

becoming a more public and visitor-oriented

institution, helping people to learn about the tangible

and intangible such as history, science, culture,

memories, hopes and dreams while also providing

entertainment. Visitor oriented education has

become very important in contemporary museums.

Educational role in museum can be achieved in two

ways; exhibition, which can be described as a form

of mass communication and educational program,

which involves face-to-face teaching and can be

described as a form of interpersonal communication.

Earlier, educational role in museums was limited

with only exhibition, where in this model the

message is one-way only and visitors only acted as

passive audience. Even though audience have

different characteristic and opinion on what they

want to see and they do not want to see. They only

see what the museum and the curator had prepared

for them. This is why many museum exhibitions in

the past failed to communicate. However, in the last

thirty of forty years the mass communication model

was rejected, replaced with the idea of active

audience and moving closer to interpersonal

communications. Model for interpersonal

communication can be face to face conversation

between two people or people in groups, for

example in educational sessions, where interactive

and two-way communication is occurring.

In today’s museums, the communication

methods are more flexible. They adopted both

methods of communication; the mass

communication, through exhibition and

interpersonal communication, through educational

programs. This called postmodern museums, where

visitors are no longer expected to stand awe of the

exhibits, but also to participate in the exhibitions as

active audiences (Urry, 2002). Museums are now

aware that they have diverse visitors with various

expectations and they started to use different kinds

of media to satisfy those expectations. Furthermore,

to make the exhibitions more interesting they have

started to add some technologies related

entertainment. The last thirty years has seen

museums structural reform and innovations due to

the development of technologies. These changes

have been the source for digitalizing museums from

museum collections to their policies and from the

use of human resources to their activities (Çıldırl, Z.,

254

Ayu Wulandari, A., Ruki, U. and Sari Fajarwati, A.

Local Visitors’ Engagement in Conventional and Technology-based Exhibition Space.

DOI: 10.5220/0010006000002917

In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Social Sciences, Laws, Arts and Humanities (BINUS-JIC 2018), pages 254-260

ISBN: 978-989-758-515-9

& Karadeniz, 2014). Various technologies, such as

online technologies, simulations, interactive

presentations and digital exhibition are more and

more favoured by museum educators whether it is

online or onsite. With the help of technology,

exhibitions able to showcase personal or social

stories and memories which presented through video

or film presentations as touch screen and interactive

thus, accessible for every kind of visitors from

various age group. Today, in interactive exhibition

environment, museums exhibit objects at a less

number (Çıldırl, Z., & Karadeniz, 2014). The use of

technology not only popular in modern museums

abroad, but also in various exhibition space in

Indonesia. Although still relatively small in number,

in the last 5 years digital technologies started to

enrich exhibition spaces, such as one newly

renovated museum; Bank of Indonesia Museum

which use various technologies as part of the

exhibition as well as some art exhibitions which

applied augmented reality that can be accessed from

visitors’ smartphones. Not only used as part of

exhibition, one gallery, the Indonesia Kaya Gallery

even replaced all real objects with digital and virtual

objects. Here, the overall exhibition consists of

multimedia and interactive devices such as

touchscreen, sensory play and virtual reality.

Museum visits should not be about looking at

objects, it is also an experience. Museum visitors as

the active learner should be informed, provoked,

moved or inspired by the objects they see, or the

subject-object engagement. So many possibilities

with subject-object engagement in museum, not only

to read the text panel that explain historical story

associated with an object, but also to experience an

embodied engagement with that object and thus

form their own ideas and a tangible physical

connection with those who made and used it in the

past (Dudley, 2013). Past studies showed that

contemporary visitors interested in a more

interactive technology based-exhibition. However,

by replacing real objects with digital images or other

interactive technologies, how about the human-

object engagements? As it is also mention that

originals and reproductions or replicas are

experienced in different ways (Saunderson, H. M.,

Cruickshank, A. G., & McSorley, 2009), how does

visitors engagement with digital objects different

from seeing real objects?

Even though research in digital technologies in

museums context are still in infancy as well as its

application in Indonesian museum, the topic is

urgently needed to be discussed and applied to

developed Indonesian museums. This study will

look further subject-object engagement by

comparing a conventional exhibition space, which

only display real objects in conventional manner

without any use of technology and a technology-

based exhibition, which only use multimedia and

interactive presentations without any real objects.

Both exhibition spaces display similar objects;

Indonesia’s art and culture, such as traditional

clothes, architecture and both have strong

educational purpose; to introduce and educate

visitors about Indonesia’s art and culture. 1 out of 34

pavilions erected in Taman Mini Indonesian Indah,

the largest open-air museum in Jakarta, will be used

as the conventional model, while a recently opened

Indonesia Kaya Gallery in Grand Indonesia, Central

Jakarta will be used as the technology-based model.

This study aims to analyse and compare the

engagement between local visitor with display

objects in a conventional exhibition space and a

technology-based exhibition space.

Museum history in conventional sense dated

back to 17th century, where collection of strange and

rare treasures were preserved and maintained

(Ambrose, T., & Paine, 1993), while to some

surprise the use of technologies in museums and

exhibition spaces begun not long after that. It begun

in the 18th century, as Christensen summarised the

development of technology in four steps

(Christensen, 2011). It was in Boydell Shakespeare

Gallery (1789-1805), where for the very first-time

artwork were mass produced using stipple engraving

technology. Not only this change the relationship

between the work of art and its audiences, but it is

also made possible for public to experience and own

the artwork physically. Using this technology,

visitors could have relatively cheap reproduction of

the oil paintings at home. It is an early example of

how museum exhibition has taken part in the

development of technologies, as a new stipple

engraving technology was applied and it was the

technology that made the mobility of the work of art

possible from gallery to the home of the visitors. In

the post-photographic museum (1850s),

reproduction of work of art continued using

photography, however not only as tools for

reproduction, photography can also be an object of

exhibition in its own right or used as museum tools.

With combination of printed and verbal text and

photos on graphic panel then digitally converted and

added interactivity using various multimedia such as

touchscreens, making it possible for visitors’

participation. This digital exhibition mode can be

expanded spatially as it may take place outside the

walls of the museum through the internet and mobile

Local Visitors’ Engagement in Conventional and Technology-based Exhibition Space

255

media. The next step of technology in museum is the

audio guide. The audio guide is a popular, simple

and widely used exhibition technology that

facilitates an efficient communication of texts to

museum visitors. Today, with the fast-growing

technological development, the use of technologies

in an exhibition space is with endless possibilities.

2 MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

Three approach commonly used in art and design

studies includes; qualitative approach, quantitative

approach and multimethod approach (Sachari,

2005). To achieve the aim of the study which is to to

analyse and compare the engagement between local

visitor with display objects in a conventional

exhibition space and a technology-based exhibition

space, qualitative method with study case approach

will be used. By using this approach, an in-depth

study about a case or phenomena will be done by

collecting detailed information through various data

collecting methods within a determined time frame

(Cresswell, 2009). Based on the determined

approach, data collecting was done in two stages.

First stage is collecting secondary data or desk

research. In this stage, all relevant data from various

sources, such as books, journal articles, websites and

other previous studies that had been done about the

phenomena will be studied and analyse. The purpose

of this stage includes; giving general information

about the topic, analyse previous studies that had

been done as well as to know what other writers

think and to have basic theory and understanding

about this topic.

The next stage is the primary data collection

using both qualitative and quantitative data

collecting method or methodological triangulation

(Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., & Lowe, 1991).

Data collected in two exhibition spaces; Riau Islands

Province Pavilion in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is

selected as the conventional model because it has the

most adequate conventional exhibition display

compare to other pavilions, which still lack of design

elements, such as lighting, display, etc. While

Indonesia Kaya Gallery, located in Grand Indonesia

shopping mall, chosen as the technology-based

model because it is the only exhibition space

equipped with technology for its display as well as

information. Both exhibition space share similar size

and purpose, which is to educate visitors about

Indonesia’s art, culture and tradition. Qualitative

data collection was done observation to find out

about the general content, layout and display from

both exhibition space. Quantitative data collection

through questionnares aim to find out about the

visitors’ engagement with objects. For this purpose,

closed-questions questionnares are designed,

consists of 4 parts; general questions about the visit

and layout of the exhibition space, visit to

conventional model, visit to technology-based model

and comparison between the two model. As

respondents of these questionnare, a group of

students were selected and asked to visit both

exhibition spaces and fill in the questionnare after

their visit (purposeful sampling).

Both primary and secondary data is analysed

using descriptive analysis method to gain conclusion

related to general layout and design, as well as

visitors’ engagement with objects in the

conventional and technology-based model.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results will be discussed in 2 subsections;

general layout and design of both exhibition space

and comparison between both exhibition spaces

according to the respondents.

3.1 General Layout

Riau Island Province Pavilion as the conventional

exhibition space model occupied a 10 x 10 m two

level building and exhibits various Riau Islands’ art

and historical artefacts. Objects such as bride and

groom mannequin seated in their bridal stage or

pelaminan as the focus of exhibition on the first

floor and also available other valuable objects;

pictures of important figure in Riau Islands,

traditional headdresses and equipment as well as

children toys. The upper floor exhibits various

ceremonial equipment, jewelries, textiles and

antique manuscripts (Figure 1). All objects are

displayed in conventional display cases and vitrines

completed with written information of each object in

Bahasa Indonesia and English. Although no special

layout or circulation are applied, all display cases are

arranged neatly and with limited exhibition objects,

thus makes the room appear spacious with lots of

space for visitors to move around. Despite its

attractive and valuable objects, there is no certain

message, narration or story in the exhibition, just

row of displays without any emphasis, point of

interest and of course technology available in the

exhibition space, thus make the room seems flat and

rather boring.

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Figure 1: Second floor exhibition space of Riau Island

Province Pavilion.

While the technology-based exhibition space

model, not only occupied a bigger space but also has

a small auditorium that can be rented for various

traditional performance. If Riau Island Province

exhibits objects originated from Riau Islands,

Indonesia Kaya Gallery presents various traditional

art and culture from Indonesia through multimedia

and interactive display and no real objects (Figure

2). Some of the digital presentations are Greetings

Indonesia, multimedia screens that show

Indonesians wearing various traditional clothes and

greet visitors with their traditional languages;

wayang video mapping that shows fragments from

Mahabarata stories; Indonesia’s smart glass,

presenting a collection of cultural objects from all

over Nusantara using touchscreen; Explore

Indonesia, another touchscreen which describe

various Indonesia’s culture from geographic, custom

and heritage aspect; Traditional clothes in harmony,

visitors can take pictures with digital traditional

clothing from some area in Indonesia, this

application connected with social media thus visitors

can directly upload their photos; Traditional melody,

various traditional musical instrument digitally

presented in touchscreen; Indonesian children

cheers, here visitors can play virtual traditional

Indonesian games called congklak; and Explore

Indonesia, where visitors can digitally fly around

Indonesia’s archipelago and see important and

iconic objects around Indonesia. Here, a straight and

direct plan from one digital exhibition to another is

applied, thus visitors will see and interact with each

digital exhibition. Some of the digital instruments

are attached nicely on the wall and some other are

located on the table with adequate lighting design

and some interior treatment on the ceiling and wall

as emphasis, thus creating a comfortable and

attractive ambience for visitors to explore.

Seen from visitors’ perception, there are 5

environmental implications that give respond toward

choices of consequence, this alternate option gives

flexibility to choose their path while exploring the

exhibitions. Second, is a clear and readily labelled

objects, which will give further information about

the objects and create further understanding or even

curiosity, third is the appreciation towards lighting

that can make dramatic effect to the environment

within the exhibitions, the next implication is about

color that reinforce the interpretive content and the

last is how the layout of furniture give the

opportunity to get clearer visual form nearest

distance and variety angle (Forrest, 2015). These

implications will affect visitors’ appreciation and

engagement toward the objects and exhibition as a

whole. In relation with these implications 73

students were asked to visit both exhibition space

and fill in questionnaire. The first five questions

asked about general design and layout of the

exhibition; circulation, signage, information, lighting

and display. These questions aim to get the

respondents’ general experience of the exhibition.

Regarding general layout and circulation, more than

50% respondents agree that they understand the

general layout and circulation in both model, this

result also similar when asked about the signage

system. In both model, more than 50% respondents

agree that the signage system is clear and can help

them explore the space. Relatively small exhibition

space and simple circulation path might be the

reason why most visitors find it easy to explore the

exhibition space. Next question related to labelling

and information, more than 50 % respondents agree

that objects in both model completed with adequate

text or information. Related to suitable lighting

techniques, in the conventional model, 3 respondents

strongly agree and 21 respondents agree while, 36

respondents answer undecided, while in the

technology-based model, 23 respondents strongly

agree and 44 respondents agree that the exhibition

space have adequate lighting techniques. Last

question about whether the overall display makes

visitors want to know more about the displayed

objects; 35 respondents in the conventional model

have undecided answers, with only 6 respondents

strongly agree and 28 respondents agree while in the

technology-based model 22 respondents strongly

agree and 41 respondents agree. From these answers

we can conclude that the overall interior and

exhibition design in the technology-based model are

better and more engaging to the visitors rather than

the conventional model.

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257

Figure 2: Indonesia Kaya Gallery exhibition space.

3.2 Visitor Engagement

Next set of questions related to visitor’s engagement

with objects. Seeing from the respondents’ time

spent in the conventional model, 82.2 % respondents

spent less than 45 minutes inside the exhibition

space. While in the technology-based model 56.2%

respondents spent less than 45 minutes inside and

42.5% spent 45-90 minutes inside the exhibition

space, contrary with the conventional model with

only 17.8% respondents who spent 45-90 minutes

inside the exhibition space. This number shows that

more respondents spend more time in the

technology-based model rather than the conventional

model. When asked about objects observation, in the

conventional model, 61.6% spent 1-3 minutes

observing each object, only 12.3% spent more than 3

minutes observing objects and 26% spent less than 1

minutes, while in the technology-based model

43.8% respondents spent 1-3 minutes interact with

each display, 28.8% spent more than 3 minutes and

27.4% spent less than 1 minutes. From this result,

most respondents spent 1-3 minutes observing or

interact with each object, however there are also

respondents who show more interest in the display

objects and spent longer observation or interaction

time. In the technology-based model, 28.8%

respondents spent more than 3 minutes observing

objects in the technology-based model, while in the

conventional model only 12.3% respondents spent

more time, this result shows that respondents’

engagement with objects are stronger in the

technology-based model than in the conventional

model. From the overall time spent inside exhibition

space, as well as the time spent for each object can

be concluded that the objects and exhibition design

in the technology-based is more attractive and

engaging thus more respondents spent more time

there.

In relation to respondents’ understanding

towards the exhibition messages; in the conventional

model only 8.2% respondents strongly agree that

seeing real objects can increase their understanding

of the exhibition message, 27.4% respondents agree

and 39.7% respondents answered undecided. On the

contrary with the technology-based model, when

asked whether technology can help them understand

the exhibition messages, 23.3% respondents

answered strongly agree, 34.2% respondents

answered agree and 16.4% respondents answered

undecided. This results also similar when asked

whether they understand the exhibition messages or

narration; in the conventional model, 6 respondents

answered strongly agree, 33 respondents answered

agree and the highest respond of 36 respondents

answered undecided, while in the technology-based

22 respondents answered strongly agree and 38

respondents as the highest respond answered agree.

From these responds, can be clearly seen that more

than 50%, respondents agree that technology can

help them towards better understanding of the

exhibition messages. In addition to this, more than

50% respondents also agree that the availability of

technology increase their curiosity and makes them

want to know more about the objects, thus in the

technology-based model, once again, visitors’

engagement with display objects is stronger that in

the conventional model.

The last set of questions used to find out the

actual preference of respondents in the conventional

and technology-based model. Previous results show

that respondents’ engagement in the technology-

based model is stronger than in the conventional

model, however when they are asked to choose

between real objects or digital/virtual objects; 78.1%

respondents agree that they are more engaged with

real objects rather than virtual or digital objects

(Figure 3) and 68.5% respondents chose real objects

when asked whether they can have better

understanding and appreciation about Indonesian art

and culture. This shows that to learn and understand

Indonesia’s culture better, visitors actually want to

see real objects rather than virtual or digital objects

and by looking at real objects visitors also expect to

have better appreciation of Indonesia’s culture as

well. Contemporary visitors are no longer passive

audience who will be satisfied by observing objects

through glass and reading information labels, they

need to be inspired and provoked by the objects.

Visitors also need to be part of the exhibition as an

active audience, this is why most respondents agree

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that the availability of technology help them

understand the objects and the exhibition better. This

conclusion can also be seen from the last three

questions in the questionnaire; when asked which

exhibition space they will visit in the future, 74%

respondents chose the technology-based model;

which exhibition space they will recommend to their

friends or relatives, 78.1% respondents also chose

the technology-based model and last question; in

which exhibition room they learn about Indonesian

art and culture the most, 74% respondents chose the

technology-based model.

Figure 3: Respondents’ engagement result.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Museum visits should not all about looking at

objects, but also experience. With the growth of

technology and to make museum learning more

flexible, modern museum the past years started to

apply technology as part of their exhibition. Some

museums also started to change their objects into

digital or virtual objects. If objects, which should

inform, moved or inspired visitors are changed into

digital objects, it will change the relationship or

engagement between subject and object as well. To

find out about visitors’ engagement with objects, a

group of students were asked to visit two exhibition

spaces; a conventional model and technology-based

model and fill in a questionnaire. Both exhibition

space model occupied similar size area and

displayed various art, culture and traditions from

Indonesia. Forrest states 5 implications of exhibition

design that give respond and affect visitors’

engagement with objects and exhibition as a whole;

such as signage, path, label, lighting and so on

These implications were asked in the first set of

question and resulting in the technology-based

exhibition space as the better space design that are

more engaging for visitors. Other factors in relation

to visitors’ engagement including the time spent in

the exhibition area and respondents’ understanding

toward exhibition message. Results for both factors

show that more respondents spent more time and

have better understanding toward exhibition

message in the technology-based model. From these

results can be concluded that technology play a big

part in shaping respondents interest to learn more

about Indonesia’s culture and visitors have stronger

engagement with objects in the technology-based

model. However, opposite result emerges when

asked to choose between real objects or virtual

objects, most respondents agree that they are more

engaged with real objects rather than digital/virtual

Furthermore, respondents also agree that with real

objects they can have better understanding and

appreciation about Indonesian art and culture. It is

true that technology is very attractive, however as

the result shows, to be engaged with exhibition

objects visitors still need to see and observe the real

objects.

Visitors’ engagement emerges not only because

of the objects itself but also of its surroundings; the

path and signage of the whole exhibition, whether it

tell a story or not; the lighting design and how the

objects displayed and labelled will create certain

engagement with its audience. Technology will also

give a great help to create subject-object engagement

by presenting the objects’ past history for example

or as an interactive tool make objects come to live as

this will make learning process in exhibition more

attractive and interactive especially for today’s

contemporary visitors. However, to appreciate and

really engaged with the objects, audience still want

to see real objects and not the digital substituted.

Thus, to make education in museum more attractive,

today’s museum need to start to implement suitable

easy to use technology according to its object and

visitors needs.

Very limited research on digital technologies in

museums in Indonesia has become the limitation of

this study, this might be as a result of limited

number museum in Indonesia that has applied

technology in their museum. Another limitation of

this research, the quantitative collection data method

does not give in-depth answers about the subject-

object engagement, it only gave general view of the

visitors. For further study, another qualitative data

collection method, such as focus group should be

applied to acquire more in-depth answers. However

still in its infancy, with the fast-growing technology

in various sector, research in museum and

technology field are still open for further research.

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259

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors gratefully acknowledge that the present

research is supported by Bina Nusantara University.

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