ABSTRACT
In order to attract new audiences and increase their relevance to contemporary society, some museums are questioning their traditional role as expert and ‘gatekeeper’ to the knowledge bound up in collections. Sharing authority and experimenting with the conventions of exhibition making may appear refreshing to some, but to others seems simply gratuitous and self-destructive. In 2008, the Manchester Museum (United Kingdom) staked its reputation on an open-ended, dialogic and pluralistic approach to an archaeological ‘treasure’ the 2000-year-old body of Lindow Man, on loan from the British Museum. The exhibition’s unorthodox concept, design and construction polarised opinion amongst staff and visitors, triggering a heated debate about the purpose of museums. Employing Personal Meaning Mapping methodology to measure the impact of the approach on visitors’ learning and enjoyment, this case study shows that challenging convention, though extremely unpopular in traditionalist quarters, can add new layers of meaning to the museum experience.
