ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the question of how far dramaturgical devices used for screenwriting can be applied to create suspenseful exhibition narratives anew. The differences and similarities between exhibition and film narratives and the question of how the specific characteristics of exhibitions influence the adoption of these techniques have been approached but will be refined in this chapter. The finding that the suspense devices have been applied in the three exhibitions only to some extent, if at all, does not necessarily mean that they could not have been used more extensively. Consequently, this chapter will discuss in a thought experiment how such an application could look. An exploration of Sawn will serve as the main example, supported by reflections regarding Passions and Mountains. The following aspects will be used as starting points for the exploration: The importance of protagonists, the fact that questions function as organising principles and the sisterhood of suspense and curiosity. Is it possible to intensify suspense in cultural historical exhibitions by implementing protagonists typical of popular films by building a suspense arc, applying the technique of planting and payoff or by emphasising turning points?
