Intro: Individualism

An individualised frame of reference means that information is built upon or delivered via a single person or entity. There are some media that do this naturally by putting an equal emphasis on the title as to the names involved. Movies have actors and directors names at the top of their posters and at the start of the film. Books and novels have the writers name right on the front, sometimes fighting for space for the actual name of the book. This creates expectations of style as well as appealing directly to a fanbase.

Other media do this more subtly and possibly accidentally. Take the news media for example. Whilst journalism aspires to objective reporting, we know there is an editorial process in line with a particular political standpoint. Who we choose to listen to is how we individualise the references. In America, choosing to listen to Bill O’Reilly or Keith Olbermann is a personal preference in how you want your news delivered. In the UK, reading the Guardian or the Daily Mail is an individual’s decision to accept the newspaper’s worldview as similar to their own.

There are two sides to individualising frames of reference. Information comes from a single person/entity but the receiver can exercise all preferences or prejudices in how that information arrives, individualising what references to frame.

There is a growing aspect in museums and this individualisation, but not in the same ways. It is unlikely for individual curators or museum directors to get top billing to an exhibition or have their names put on every piece of written text. Museums act as institutions rather than entities and a neutral political correctness is preferred to possibly offending with one-sided arguments. So museums are leaning towards exhibitions about individuals, be it Tutankhamen or Matisse. These take the format of a “star exhibition” and a chance to see an internationally recognised figure. Sometimes, these figures are modern day celebrities, like Kylie.

The other side of individualised frames of referencing, museums should be geared towards but slow to take up. Allowing visitors to entirely customise the information could enhance their experience no end, but possibly change the role of curator entirely. There would also be issues about coherence of theme and if the visitor wants a customisable source of information, then how is a museum better than the Internet? A mid-point between these points would be allowing visitors the customisation of various augmentations to an exhibition, most likely through new technologies. Curators then have new methods of communicating to an audience through different forms of curatorial techniques.

This category will look at this kind individualism in museums, the changes it brings around and how it affects the future of museums.