Re-configuring museums

Abstract

This paper presents a model for understanding contemporary museum practice. It identifies three fundamental museological domains—materiality, engagement, and representation—and examines them from the perspective of what museums have been, what museums are becoming, and what museums could become. This examination produces a series of configurations that can be useful for thinking about change in museums of all kinds. Recognizing the range of configurations can enable museums to reflect on how they have positioned themselves for the future in relation to collections and constituents.