Designing an art exhibition is a complex challenge, especially when addressing the diverse needs of different audience groups simultaneously. On one hand, an exhibition acts as an essay targeted at professionals, serving as a kind of industry publication. On the other hand, it is a narrative tailored to a broader audience, many of whom may be encountering the topic for the first time. The differences in audience needs are not only shaped by cultural capital or age but also by more fundamental factors such as physical stamina and the ability to maintain attention.

Visiting an exhibition—particularly when it involves multiple displays included in the same ticket—often requires walking through hundreds of meters of museum space. Over time, this space can start to feel monotonous, dominated by a repetitive rhythm of text-object, text-object. While functional, this approach can be both physically and cognitively draining, potentially disengaging visitors from the exhibition’s intended message.

Nearly a century ago, El Lissitzky criticized traditional museums as outdated institutions disconnected from the dynamic nature of art. Using the metaphor of a “painted coffin” in his 1926 essay Exhibitionsprobleme (published in Das Kunstblatt), he described museums as places primarily focused on storing art, with their exhibition functions treated as secondary. He advocated for replacing traditional museums with spaces that foster active dialogue, education, and experimentation, enabling visitors to engage with art in multisensory ways and actively participate in the creative process.

While 100 years have passed since Lissitzky’s critique, a revolutionary shift in the museum format has yet to occur. Perhaps we need to accept that such a revolution is unlikely in the near term. However, nuanced changes that align with visitors’ natural inclinations—moving them from passive observers to active participants—may be achievable. Interacting with art can resemble active recreation and doesn’t have to be associated with the cognitive strain of traditional education systems.

Rinse and Repeat: Resetting Visitor Attention

Michel Foucault described the museum as a heterotopia—a world within a world, governed by its own rules. A museum visit often resembles a ritual of silence and contemplation. However, considering that the average visitor’s attention span lasts only 10 to 20 minutes [source: “Attention and Mindfulness in Museums,” Filip Skowron, Kultura Współczesna 3(110)/2020], the actual time spent in contemplative focus is limited. As a result, much of the material presented in exhibitions remains unabsorbed.

The challenge for exhibition designers is to create situations where visitors can periodically reset their attention and re-engage with the content. One innovative approach is the concept of “rinse and repeat,” which involves introducing temporary shifts in the type of interaction within the exhibition space. This can include areas for rest, interactive activities, or facilitated zones where visitors can participate in tasks or simply unwind. Spaces designed for sitting, reclining, or isolating oneself from the main exhibition area can help alleviate both physical and cognitive fatigue. Additionally, activating senses other than sight—such as touch, hearing, or smell—can enrich the visitor experience.

Visual immersion can also play a role in refreshing attention. Functional design elements, such as varying scales, sectioning the exhibition, changing colors, or adjusting light intensity, can create moments of renewed focus and engagement.

Rhizomatic Narratives and Expanding Accessibility

While seating in gallery spaces has become a standard feature, the way information is presented within exhibitions still poses challenges. Crafting textual content that caters to audiences with varying levels of expertise while maintaining readability is no small feat. In digital product design, UX writing has emerged as a specialized field dedicated to creating clear and accessible text for diverse users. Exhibition design can draw inspiration from this approach, offering layered content that allows visitors to decide how deeply they wish to explore. Providing primary messages, detailed explanations, and supplementary information lets visitors chart their own, non-linear learning paths.

The concept of the rhizome, introduced by Deleuze and Guattari, offers a useful framework in this context. Exhibition narratives can extend beyond the physical gallery or the catalog. Tools such as QR codes placed within the exhibition space can link to additional digital content, enriching the interpretive layer of the exhibition. Educational efforts could also continue beyond the visit, with museums sending highlights or preparatory materials via email or text to enhance the visitor’s experience. Proactive approaches like these could be particularly effective in engaging audiences with less cultural or artistic background, as indicated in the OECD report Engaging Low-Skilled Adults in Learning (2019). According to the report, only 11.6% of adults with lower qualifications actively seek educational opportunities, compared to 35.5% of those with higher qualifications. Active educational outreach from museums could help bridge this gap.

Distributed Museums: Art Beyond Traditional Boundaries

The concept of the distributed museum emphasizes flexible and accessible exhibition spaces that go beyond traditional museum buildings. In this model, viewers don’t need to visit specialized spaces to encounter art—it meets them in their everyday lives.

Mark Fisher’s philosophy offers valuable insights for understanding this idea. In Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?, Fisher explores how late capitalism tends to repeat culturally successful forms. His analysis suggests that distributed museums, with their diverse formats and accessibility, have the potential to break through entrenched patterns and find new ways to present art.

Examples of distributed museums include art exhibitions in informal spaces, such as community centers or pop-up shows in abandoned villas, like the 2024 “Nada Villa” exhibition in Warsaw. These initiatives resonate with audiences, but adapting non-traditional spaces to museum standards requires significant flexibility. Perhaps this flexibility is the very quality El Lissitzky envisioned as a way to overcome the rigidity of traditional museums.

Toward a Better Visitor Experience

Contemporary exhibition design faces multidimensional challenges, from addressing diverse visitor needs to accommodating cognitive and physical limitations. The key lies in designing spaces and narratives that refresh attention, engage multiple senses, and allow flexibility in how content is experienced. Revitalizing exhibitions in line with El Lissitzky’s call for dynamic museums requires not only technological innovation but also a deeper understanding of modern audiences. Flexibility and openness to experimentation may hold the key to overcoming visitor fatigue and creating meaningful connections with art.

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Paulina Tyro-Niezgoda

_{Visitor Experience and Service Design Specialist}