Nordisk Museologi 2021 • 1, s.

8–22

Reaching Out to be in Reach

Museum Communication in the Current Museum Zeitgeist

Bjarki Valtysson, Sanne Lynge Nilsson & Christine Eva Pedersen

Abstract: This article focuses on art museums as multi-layered media- and event-
makers. By discussing the National Gallery of Denmark’s Mysteries from the
Museum podcast series and the event SMK Fridays, Louisiana’s digital platform
Louisiana Channel and the Glyptotek’s Slow arrangements, we scrutinise these
museums’ onsite and offsite outreach techniques and strategies. These are further
discussed regarding the current museum zeitgeist, and how this relates to dominant
cultural policy paradigms in Denmark. The article is based on interviews with
museum professionals, observations of onsite events and document analysis; they
indicate that museums constantly renew their outreach techniques and strategies,
adding layers to their museum communication. While museums succeed in creating
quality digital content and arranging events attracting attention and audiences,
these productions do not challenge the power dynamics between museums and
their users described in current literature on the museum zeitgeist, as in dominant
cultural policy strategies in a Danish context.

Keywords: Multi-layered museums, museums as media-makers, museums as

event-makers, SMK, Louisiana, the Glyptotek, onsite/offsite outreach, museum
communication, museum zeitgeist, cultural policy in Denmark.

On 24 April 2018, Jane Sandberg, director of later, ENIGMA, along with other cultural
the Danish museum ENIGMA, entertained institutions and regional radio stations, won
the thought in an article that perhaps one an official bid to establish a new national
could expand the understanding of museums radio station with public service obligations.
to also consider museums as media (Altinget, Radio LOUD aired for the first time on 1 April
24.04.2018). She aired these thoughts during 2020 with ENIGMA producing two weekly
negotiations for a new Danish media agreement programmes.
and suggested that museums should be able Other Danish museums are also producing
to apply for public media funding as there and distributing digital content. The National
are several similarities between the work that Gallery of Denmark (SMK) has produced a
museums and media do. A year and a half 12-episode podcast series called Mysteries
 Reaching Out to be in Reach

from the Museum, while the Louisiana Therefore, this article focuses on the museum 9
Museum of Modern Art has developed a as a media-maker and event-maker. By
digital platform called Louisiana Channel using Mysteries from the Museum, Louisiana
that produces videos about art and culture. Channel, SMK Fridays and Slow as our point
According to the channel, it is “an integral of departure, we are particularly interested
part of a museum for the 21st century, capable in examining these offsite digital productions
of engaging a new generation in our cultural and onsite event productions as dissemination
heritage, in an intelligent present and an techniques and communication strategies.
ambitious future” (Louisiana Channel, n.d.). Consequently, the aim of this article is to use
While many museums are evolving in line the four cases to examine and discuss how
with the current digital age in terms of their SMK, Louisiana and the Glyptotek expand
communication, others are also developing their communication and how this affects their
new analogue ways to communicate their roles as museums and cultural institutions.
knowledge and offer different experiences. In How do the techniques and strategies relate
Copenhagen, SMK and the Glyptotek have to the art museum’s position in the current
developed concepts that encourage different museum zeitgeist? What is the rationale
ways of enjoying and engaging with museums behind the tactics, and how do they further
by organising such events as SMK Fridays and relate to dominant cultural policy paradigms
Slow. Both are planned events designed with in a Danish context?
different experiences in mind such as talks,
performance art, concerts, DJs and drinks.
Museums and the Methodological
In all of the aforementioned cases, the
Framework
museums expand their communication; be it
in terms of expanding the physical museum The museums in question are all highly
space to also include a digital museum space profiled art museums within a Danish
or the range of activities and experiences context and amongst those that have the
that the museums offer. However, as Parry highest numbers of visitors. This makes them
(2007) rightly argues, there is nothing new convenient objects of study both in terms of
about museums using technology to evolve levels of production and impact, but also in
their conservation methods, dissemination, the way that they respond to the dominant
and communication. Indeed, he refers to paradigms within Danish and international
museums as “media museums” as the histories cultural policy. Structurally, they are placed
of museums and technology are closely differently on the public/private axis, but they
interwoven. While certainly acknowledging are all hybrid museums in terms of funding.
museums as media museums, we still observe To varying degrees, they all receive funds from
a certain transition taking place concerning the state, but are dependent on their income
not only the role of new technologies in from tickets and sales, external financial
terms of further advancing traditional roles of sources and partnerships with businesses
museums (collecting, registering, preserving, and funds. These external circumstances
researching and disseminating) but also are typical for many other museums and
concerning the expanded role of the museum thus as cases, they share similarities to other
in producing media content and events. museums, also outside of Denmark. We have
 Bjarki Valtysson, Sanne Lynge Nilsson & Christine Eva Pedersen

10 chosen to focus on these museums because of outreach differs from the onsite outreach of
their financial capabilities, popularity, prestige, SMK Fridays, which the museum refers to as
and influence on the field of Danish cultural the city’s most artistic Friday bar where guests
production and consumption. They constitute can “expect a great blend of art, music, art
interesting cases in terms of how modern art talks, film screenings – and drinks and street
museums are spatially moving with regards to food served in a friendly atmosphere” (SMK,
their outreach strategies, how they vary their n.d.). SMK Fridays is an event that takes place
profiles as producers and in establishing new seven times a year with the purpose of offering
relationships with their users, both offsite and an informal experience of the museum space
onsite. where participants can stroll around the
The cases are collectively chosen as museum with a drink or enjoy the planned
they demonstrate well the multi-layered activities. Each event is organised around a
dissemination and communication strategies specific theme and the activities take place in
which are taken up by the three museums, different corners of the museum.
and which relate clearly to the current zeitgeist Another example of such onsite outreach
within cultural policy and new museology. To activities is the Glyptotek’s Slow arrangement.
choose both digitally mediated examples and As the name indicates, the focus is on
onsite examples allows us to further display elaboration and reflection and, like SMK
what we term onsite outreach and offsite Fridays, these are organised as themes such
outreach. Furthermore, the cases are well as An Evening on Progress and An Evening
suited to scrutinise how theoretical paradigms on Bodies. Guests are encouraged to enjoy a
and cultural policy discourses fit the realities beer and attend the different activities, such
of museums and how this is perceived by as talks, lectures, performances, and concerts.
museums professionals. The Glyptotek is a self-owned institution that
SMK is the largest art museum in the country. receives funds from the State and the New
According to the Danish Museum Law, it is the Carlsberg Foundation. During both SMK
main museum of art, and therefore possesses Fridays and Slow, the museums specifically
specific obligations that are further ascribed in work with external partners such as B&O
the law, framework agreements and strategies. PLAY and the Bikuben Foundation.
The two cases from SMK are the podcast series The last case resembles SMK’s podcast
entitled Mysteries from the Museum and SMK series, as in spatial terms the Louisiana
Fridays. These are chosen as they demonstrate Channel reaches out to users that do not need
ways to reach out to and engage users in two to physically be on the museum’s premises.
different ways which we term onsite outreach The scope, however, is quite different as the
and offsite outreach. The podcast series provides Channel hosts more than 900 videos on art,
unique tales that can be pulled from the literature, music, architecture, and design.
overall narrative of the museum and its wider This is a vibrant platform that continuously
collections. With titles such as The Planet Book, produces new videos and “contributes to the
The Rembrandt Police and Egyptian Blue, users permanent development of the museum as
are introduced to narrative contexts which are a cultural platform, expressing a desire to
meant to be experienced outside the museum sharpen the understanding of the importance
space, thus being offsite outreach. This offsite of culture and the arts” (Louisiana Channel,
 Reaching Out to be in Reach

n.d.). In its own words, Louisiana intends the and the framing of the events from the 11
Channel to provide culture to the internet and perspectives of the museums, as well as how
to extend “beyond the museum’s own events” guests reacted to those principles. We therefore
(Louisiana Channel, n.d.). The videos differ focused our observations and field notes on
in length and format and provide features of the organisation and use of space, guest
artists, interviews, talks and performances. demographics, experience/entertainment,
Similarly, to the other examples, Louisiana knowledge/information/education, atmos-
Channel is supported by external funds. The phere, and guests/public. We will not refer
museum itself is a private museum but adheres directly to our fieldnotes but rather use
to the Danish Museum Law. them implicitly in our analysis, as well as in
In methodological terms, we conducted a methodological combination in forming
four participative observations (Kawulich the interview guides for our semi-structured
2005; Szulevics 2015) and five qualitative qualitative interviews.
interviews (Gaskell 2000; Cresswell 2009) Finally, we pay specific attention to key
with museum professionals.1 The interviews documents that explain the museums’
were conducted with Sofie Kønigsfeldt, Head intentions and strategies, and how these relate
of Marketing and Events at the Glyptotek; to the dominant cultural policy paradigms
Jonas Heide Smith, Head of Digital at SMK; in Denmark at the moment of writing. These
Christian Lund, Editor of Louisiana Channel; documents are SMK’s strategy for 2018-2021
Daniel Smith Nielsen, Producer of Public (SMK for All), the framework agreement
Events at SMK; and Jane Sandberg, Director between the Danish Ministry of Culture and
of ENIGMA. The purpose of the interviews SMK 2018-2021, Louisiana’s yearly reports
was to get closer to the museums’ intentions spanning 2016 and 2017 and the Glyptotek’s
from a sender perspective and examine how strategy for 2018-2020. Even though these
these intentions further relate to the role of documents have varying functions, they still
the museum as an institution, its role and present valuable information about how the
obligation in reaching out to audiences and museums in question discursively frame their
how they respond to reigning cultural policy activities and how these discourses feed into
discourses. The respondents were chosen as their offsite and onsite outreach strategies. To
they serve key roles in shaping and realising understand the current museum zeitgeist in
the online and onsite activities and cases that which the three museums are infiltrated, a few
we analyse, as well as informing how they lines about paradigm shifts within museology
perceive how theory and policy translates to seem appropriate, and how these have become
concrete museum practices. Interviews were ingrained in Danish cultural policy.
conducted and transcribed in Danish. Excerpts
used from the interviews were translated from
The Danish Museum Zeitgeist
Danish to English by the authors. In addition,
we conducted two participative observations Art museums expanding their communication
at SMK (8 February and 15 March 2019) and with offsite digital productions and onsite event
two at the Glyptotek (17 January and 7 March productions can be explained by the shift in the
2019). The observations were useful to further role of the museum as a cultural institution.
our understanding of the governing principles The role of the museum has gone from being a
 Bjarki Valtysson, Sanne Lynge Nilsson & Christine Eva Pedersen

12 place that primarily preserves valuable objects (2017) write about museums from branding
of aesthetic and cultural historical significance and marketing perspectives. The previously
to also being a place that has to make itself mentioned shift from collection-driven
relevant and accessible to a more diverse museums to audience-focused museums also
audience. Anderson captures the essence of represents literature including Falk (2009),
these shifts by opposing the traditional museum Simon (2010), and Samis and Michaelson
and the reinvented museum. According to her, (2017). The same is true of inspections
the reinvented museum is audience focused into museum and digital communications,
instead of collection driven, relevant and introducing notions such as the media museum,
forward looking instead of focused on the the connected museum, museum 2.0, the
past, inclusive instead of exclusive, and offers mediatised museum and the digital museum
accessible information instead of privileged (Parry 2007; Russo 2012; Drotner & Schroder
information (Anderson 2012). 2013; Drotner et al. 2019). This enumeration
Other theorists also call for a paradigm shift is not meant to give a fulfilling review of all
from old to new museology, from Museum the research that has been published within
1.0 to Museum 2.0. For some, this shift is museology in recent decades, but rather to
designated as new museum theory, while point towards the current museum zeitgeist.
others refer to new museology (Vergo 1989), What current tendencies demonstrate is a need
post-critical museology (Dewdney et al. 2013), to even out the edges of simple dichotomies
the post-museum (Marstine 2006) and the and point towards complexity and contextual
post-colonial museum (Chambers et al. 2014). awareness.
An early and influential contender for this Cultural policy plays an important role
approach was Hooper-Greenhill (1992, 2000) in providing for different contexts which
who made a distinction between the modernist museums are affected by, and in many cases
and the post-modernist museum. Another need to respond to. Dominant cultural policy
influential voice is that of Bennett (1995) who, paradigms change over time, and from a
in applying a Foucauldian governmentality Nordic perspective, Duelund (2008) accounts
lens, refers to populist and statist museum for four cultural policy strategies/paradigms
positions. Similarly, Vergo’s (1989) anthology spanning 1960-2007: democratisation of
on new museology was a certain stepping- culture, cultural democracy, social and
stone in further cementing such a break from economic instrumentalisation, and economic
old to new museology. and political colonisation. What these roughly
Since then, there has been no shortage of indicate are moves from applying culture in
advancing the museological research field terms of artistic and intellectual activities to
further towards new ways of perceiving and a broader anthropological notion of cultural
forming the museum’s role in modern society. democracy, where cultural participation is
Henning (2006) draws attention to museums heavily underscored. The third phase of social
and media, while Gray (2015) focuses on the and economic instrumentalisation welcomes
politics of museums, MacLeod (2005) on cultural investments for economic purposes.
museum space, Black (2010) on museums’ The latest phase, political colonisation, focuses
role in communities, Koster (2006) on the on the construction of national identities and
relevance of museums and Rentchler and Hide increased political regulation by means of
 Reaching Out to be in Reach

performance contracts, framework agreements a more diverse audience, the museums can 13
and administrative centralisation. advantageously choose to add more layers to
While demarcations of this sort can be useful their dissemination and communication. This
in detecting dominant discursive formations can include podcast series, digital content,
that characterise specific periods, or cultural talks, performances, concerts, and dining
policy zeitgeist, they also tend to exaggerate the experiences, among others, that support
differences between policy models rather than the wishes and needs of museum users for
the differences within these models (Mangset a museum visit both offsite and onsite. The
et al. 2008). This is a vital observation as even current zeitgeist in Danish cultural policy,
though specific periods can be dominated which we choose to term cultural democracy
by specific policies and strategies, others do 2.0, adds yet another layer to the workings of
not necessarily vanish. Certainly, strategic museums. This paradigm resembles the first
shifts towards merging cultural sectors and wave of cultural democracy in the sense that
business sectors could be detected at the it places emphasis on a broad understanding
dawn of this century and for the next decade of culture for all, outreach strategies and active
or so, as well as the implementation of new cultural participation. Digital media have been
public management manoeuvres within public seen as ideal tools to reach these objectives
cultural governance. However, this does not and therefore concepts like digitisation, digital
mean that the ideas and policies associated culture, engagement, participation and co-
with the democratisation of culture and creation are often used simultaneously.2
cultural democracy have evaporated. This is Even though such reports are alight with
a relevant discussion in terms of museums empowering discourses which are meant to give
as media-makers and event-makers, as the increased agency to users and to even out the
dominant cultural policy discourses expand power relations between institutions and users,
the historical roles of art museums and add these discourses do not necessarily materialise
new layers to their functions and operations. in concrete actions and changes in institutional
The modern museum can therefore be practices. What is interesting, however, about
described as a multi-layered museum, one not the art museums as multi-layered media-
only shaped by the dominant cultural policy and event-makers is their characteristics as
discourses but also older ones. Museums are charged spaces (Valtysson & Holdgaard 2019)
therefore like ever-expanding Russian dolls and the ability to give extra “charge” to onsite
that face the task of constant renewal, without outreach and offsite activities and designs. The
losing sight of their core. understanding of the museum as a charged
An example of this is what Skot-Hansen space refers to the museum’s historical, cultural,
(2008) describes as the experience economy and political significance as an institution that
perspective, which was a part of the discourses produces, communicates and preserves our
that looked favourably upon the interlinkages shared history, heritage and identity. Seen from
between culture and economy, and the constant this perspective, the art museum is a powerful
demand of museums to reinvent themselves in charged space not because it lies at the forefront
order to compete with other cultural activities of innovations within digital communications,
for users’ time and attention. Therefore, to modern media productions or as a state-of-
become more audience-focused and thus reach the-art event-maker, but rather because of its
 Bjarki Valtysson, Sanne Lynge Nilsson & Christine Eva Pedersen

14 historical position as an art museum. With this easily be experienced in opposite terms; that the
position comes expert knowledge, authority, museums use their positions to cement their
prestige, artworks and products; tales and authority by bringing it towards new outreach
stories of great significance. This is what gives strategies and communication techniques.
the three museums their status as charged While this perhaps is counter to polarised
spaces, and this is what they utilise to create discourses of some sort of “before” and “after”,
charged digital offsite productions and charged the modernist and the post-modern museum,
onsite event designs. old and new museology, it perhaps says more
Museums are central in promoting a about the rigidness of such polarisation and
collective belief (Bourdieu 1993: 35) and, from less about the reality of museum practice and
the viewpoint of cultural politics, museums the cultural policy discourses which museums
are instrumental in deciding what is to be are affected by. For this reason, we plead for
remembered, in addition to what will be context awareness and to bring attention to
forgotten (Jordan & Weedon 1995). In a Danish the different and contradicting discourses that
context, SMK, Louisiana and the Glyptotek can reside within a specific zeitgeist. These
are influential in forming such narratives as contradictions are further verbalised by our
they are established and prestigious cultural respondents, which as senders and producers
institutions, with great remit in society. When of media content and event productions are
these museums diversify their outreach aware of how their designs form part of the
strategies as media-makers and event-makers, new strategies of expanded museums that are
they are not, however, challenging the power reaching out to be in reach.
dynamics between museum professionals
and museum users, as many advocates of the
Expanded Museums
post-museum and new museology would.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of The analysis is primarily based on the utterances
cultural policy and cultural democracy 2.0, no of the five museum professionals and how these
major changes are occurring in the dominant correspond to key museum documents. The
position of major art museums within the field interviews were thematically categorised using
of Danish cultural production. both pre-established codes that were aligned
Indeed, it is our claim that users are just being with the research questions, as well as codes
spatially governed in new ways; the digital offsite that emerged from the interviews. The themes
productions are carefully carved out audio and are access and accessibility, the user-fixed
audiovisual productions with a clear narrative museum, and the multi-layered museum. The
and authoritative voice, while SMK Fridays and analysis is structured according to the themes
Slow are carefully crafted onsite narratives that and we refer to the museum professionals by
govern users through space with very specific surname and institutional affiliation.
aims in mind. There is no doubt that these events
attempt to construct different interactions and Access and Accessibility
atmospheres within the museum space but The key documents scrutinised in this article
designing people’s interaction differently does place great emphasis on access to the museums.
not necessarily mean that the museum becomes Indeed, access is often linked to the museums’
more democratic and inclusive. In fact, it could dissemination techniques and communication
 Reaching Out to be in Reach

strategies, in addition to their relevance and content to a new generation of cultural users 15
role in society. When SMK, Louisiana and the that are used to enjoying cultural products
Glyptotek expand their communication, they online. The Channel caters to a global public,
do so to become more accessible to users. In and apart from being stored on its own online
echoing the governmental cultural policy space, it also has a YouTube channel. This
strategy from 2009, Culture for All, SMK seems to be working as Lund reveals that 60%
refers to its strategy for 2018-2021 as SMK of their viewers are young males aged between
for All. According to the strategy, the vision 18-34 years. The aim of the Channel is therefore
is to “bring art and artistic reflections out to to provide qualitative material for a global
all people in Denmark and art lovers from all niche audience and add an accessible offsite
over the world” (SMK’s strategy 2018-2021:2) alternative to regular onsite museum guests.
and to “make the collections and knowledge In both cases, the production of digital content
about the collections accessible and relevant to is deliberately used as answers to challenges of
as many users as possible” (3). To Heide Smith, access and relevance, be that in geographical or
there is an obvious gain in disseminating and economic terms – or as part of a larger multi-
communicating through digital platforms and layered dissemination strategy where onsite
services: “The big advantage of the digital is and offsite productions supplement each other.
that you can add more layers to the museum Sandberg also reflects on institutional
experience so that you can experience the structures and relevance: “I don’t think
museum in many different ways” (Heide Smith, institutional forms of art and culture are for
SMK). When Mysteries from the Museum solves everyone. But I don’t think anyone in Denmark
the riddle of SMK’s Rembrandt paintings and can claim not being a culture-consuming
comprehensively details the colour pigment person” (Sandberg, Enigma). Sandberg
Egyptian blue, one can argue that the podcast notes that there can be many hindrances to
series expands and unfolds SMK’s collection visiting a cultural institution and therefore
by adding information and knowledge layers it is crucial for cultural institutions to reach
to the experience we would get by enjoying out through multi-layered dissemination and
the artworks at SMK. With reference to Skot- communication strategies. In a similar vein,
Hansen (2008), this act of “layering” can according to Kønigsfeldt, the purpose of Slow
also react to geographical restrictions. Heide is to provide an entrance to the arts, as well as
Smith, in reflecting on why SMK developed a different museum experience that speaks to
the podcast series, points to these two factors: both familiar and unfamiliar museum users.
In that sense, Slow supports the strategy of the
Instead of putting all efforts on the museum itself, we Glyptotek: “The Glyptotek wants to change the
thought, what if you don’t know so much about SMK, perception of the museum from its current
what if you don’t know what is interesting about the elitist, classical position to one that is relevant,
museum, for instance if you live far away, how can we vibrant, and proactive and accessible to the
make the museum and its collection and stories more diverse audience of today” (The Glyptotek’s
relevant? (Heide Smith, SMK). strategy 2018-2020: 11). SMK Fridays and
Slow are both preoccupied with providing
Louisiana Channel provides another perspec- different forms of access to the museums.
tive as they are interested in adding high quality According to Smith Nielsen, “there are as
 Bjarki Valtysson, Sanne Lynge Nilsson & Christine Eva Pedersen

16 many art experiences as there are people in the oriented towards its users and it wishes to be
world” (Smith Nielsen, SMK) and therefore democratic in its designs and to share power
it is important that museums employ varied in terms of representation strategies and
dissemination and communication strategies. governance. According to Heide Smith, the
The level of self-reflexivity on the behalf production of podcasts is representative of such
of museum professionals and the museums’ a move from the “traditional” towards opening
strategies and framework agreements up to the wider public: “Fundamentally, it is
corresponds well with the move from old to about being more oriented towards users – to
new museology. However, access does not listen to guests, to think about guests’ needs, to
necessarily equal accessibility. While there is examine guests’ needs, to ask them questions
no question that the museum professionals, regarding their needs and wishes” (Heide
leading strategies and framework agreements Smith, SMK). To achieve this, the museums
emphasise access, nor that the dissemination wish, in their strategies, to increase diversity
techniques analysed in this article correspond and reach out to different demographics.
to such forms of access, the cases do not take Museum researchers like Wright (1989) and
a further step towards Andersons’ claim of Samis & Michaelson (2017) claim that to
reinventing the museum. Providing access accomplish this, the communication needs to
to the institutions through multi-layered be clearer and easier to understand. This is in
offsite digital productions and onsite event line with the strategies behind SMK Fridays
productions does not automatically lead and Slow, as their aim is to bring the respective
to inclusive, proactive shared visions and museums closer to target groups that do not
leadership. However, what it could potentially normally frequent the museum: “As it is now,
lead to is an audience-focused approach and it is primarily the well-educated that visit us,
multi-directional communication patterns, and we need to do something about that. So, it
which, while not necessarily engaging users is all about communicating in a more present
in the manner that strategies and theories on way and coming closer to the users” (Smith
user-engagement indicate, can all the same Nielsen, SMK).
provide for multi-layered communication Words like ‘user-oriented’, ‘accommodating’,
techniques. The cases therefore demonstrate ‘relevance’ and ‘engagement’ were frequently
that while many elements of the theoretical used by our respondents and the same is
paradigms of new museology certainly true of the museums’ strategies and external
are present, such as emphasis on access, communication. This goes hand in hand with
users, increased visibility, and relevant the current cultural policy zeitgeist, as well as
communication and dissemination strategies, with how museum research has evolved over
they do not fundamentally change the power the past three decades. However, the user-
dynamics in terms of shared decision-making, fixed move also relates to the economy and
organisation structures and democratisation. in establishing partnerships with external
funders: “Along with the money that we
The User-Fixed Museum received for the purpose, we also had to
As media-makers and event-makers, SMK, commit to experimental communication and
Louisiana and the Glyptotek are reaching forms of dissemination” (Smith Nielsen, SMK).
out to be in reach. The user-fixed museum is This indicates that despite the second wave of
 Reaching Out to be in Reach

cultural democracy zeitgeist, other strategies, and sharing, etc., but these are not used by 17
such as economic instrumentalisation or the museum professionals. Indeed, there is
political colonisation, remain present. In this no attempt to enter any forms of discussions
case, the funders are not interested in investing and deliberations with users. This attention
in “traditional” forms of museum exhibitions, on the user does not, therefore, correspond
but rather in an alternative way of utilising the with Anderson’s reinvention of the museum,
museum space and reaching out to people in Marstine’s post-museum, Hooper-Greenhill’s
different ways. This is why it is important to post-modern museum or Simon’s museum 2.0.
be attentive to the multifaceted discourses that The four cases illustrate the move from old
reside within different cultural policy epochs to new museology and museums working on
and be attentive to the specific contexts in being more audience-focused than collection-
which these communication techniques find driven. However, in some respects, SMK,
themselves. Louisiana and the Glyptotek are user-fixed
Despite the multitude of occasionally to a greater extent than audience-focused. It
contradicting discourses, our respondents still is a fixation that is primarily discursive and
repeatedly emphasised user-focused views not empowering, nor even democratic in the
and the museum as a facilitator of democratic sense that the literature on the new museum
participation: indicates. This is not to say that Mysteries from
the Museum, Louisiana Channel, SMK Fridays
We tend to say that we want to make people better and Slow are productions of poor quality; quite
equipped to be humans in a democratic society. This the contrary, these are wonderfully crafted,
is what we want to accomplish. All museums want informing and professional productions
this. The way that we do this is to equip people with made by top museum professionals with
concrete tools of action. (Sandberg, Enigma). great authority. Despite this, this authority
is not born from sharing the power of the
These goals are also found in the strategies of post-museum, but rather from the museum
SMK and the Glyptotek as in both cases the as a prestigious and authoritative charged
museum as a visible, relevant, and proactive space. Again, the museum as a charged space
actor in society is emphasised. However, corresponds to new museology in terms of
they claim to not only put these forward as onsite and offsite outreach, as it has diversified
ignited and empowering discourses, but also its professional museum communication.
promise concrete tools of action. However, However, communicating through diverse
when these tools are scrutinised as user- channels and potentially reaching new
focused, it is difficult to see how they equip audiences is not equivalent to allowing others
users with concrete, participatory tools of to affect the content of such communication.
action. In the two digital cases, the narratives
are constructed by museum professionals in The Multi-layered Museum
quite a stringent manner where the multi- It is important to stipulate that our observations
directional communicative potentials of digital and interviews, in addition to our analysis of
media are not put to use. For the Louisiana the documents, all head in a similar direction;
Channel, YouTube affords openings for users the multi-layered museum is a museum that
to interact by liking, disliking, commenting, uses different dissemination techniques to
 Bjarki Valtysson, Sanne Lynge Nilsson & Christine Eva Pedersen

18 communicate its messages out and to create discourses of the new post-museum. None
events within. The museums are expanding of them discuss radical changes in power
their arsenal of tools to be more relevant and dynamics between museum professionals and
reach a diverse audience. In this sense, they users/guests. What they repeatedly refer to is
take advantage of what Gurian (2005), with the wider role and relevance of their museums
reference to Jacobs, terms mixed-use spaces, and their obligations to reach out to as many
i.e. spaces that are designed to provide multiple individuals as possible; they do that not by
experiences and services and aim to involve inviting users to share in the decision-making
large parts of the population. However, the four or to make them a significant part of the event
cases are not democratic in the inviting sense designs, but rather by adding layers to their
that the museological shift from the old to the already authoritative voice. Heide Smith earlier
new indicates. Communicatively, no changes referred to the digital as providing more layers
can be perceived in any power dynamics. The to the museum experience; a similar view is
digital productions do not take advantage of expressed by Lund who claims that Louisiana
the multi-modal and multi-channel (Castells Channel brings users closer to the art and the
2009) potentials that digital media afford and artists. Indeed, the Channel adds an extra layer
the spatial designs of SMK Fridays and Slow are to the onsite spatial dimension of the museum
carefully crafted narratives of control. Museum itself. Smith Nielsen also refers to this as having
visits are social and most of the guests come to different products on the “museum shelf ”, the
enjoy the space together with acquaintances. need for “many different opportunities for
This was a vital observation in designing the museum visits” and to “make the framework
events, as they are well equipped to facilitate around disseminating and communicating
such meetings, as Smith Nielsen highlights: art lighter and more informal, without
compromising the substance” (Smith Nielsen,
Almost every museum visit is a social event. So, what SMK). However, these are essentially different
would happen if we would turn up this element during angles, tightly designed by the same senders.
a visit to the museum and promote communication This is not to say that the different angles of
forms like performance, sound, and so on, which are the museums’ communication strategies do
supposed to be experienced together and preferably not serve an important purpose, because they
with many people? (Smith Nielsen, SMK). do, for instance by focusing their event themes
on relevant and current societal issues such
Kønigsfeldt shares this emphasis on the as human rights, equality, sexuality, climate
social experience of a museum visit and the change, etc. It is the governing principle and
deliberate design of Slow to also include such the sharing of power that has not changed with
opportunities for guests. these multiplicities of angles and layers.
However, even though the strategies behind
SMK Fridays and Slow are aware of the users’
Conclusion
needs, they all represent a conscious governing
of the space which never really challenges This article has outlined discrepancies regard-
the authority of the “traditional museum”, as ing theoretically established discourses from
Anderson (2004) states. Interestingly, none old museology to new museology. These
of our respondents buy into the empowering discrepancies are not only detected in relatively
 Reaching Out to be in Reach

recent museum literature, but also in the recent writings surrounding new museology for three 19
strategies and framework agreements of major decades. In addition, current strategies in a
Danish museums and in dominant discourses Danish context are still focussing heavily on
within Danish cultural policy. Our cases increased user-involvement.
demonstrate that museums have answered the
call of being more relevant for more diversified Museums, in these years, are working increasingly
segments of the population. The dissemination with user-involvement and the development of
techniques and communication strategies that communication and cooperation tools. It is very
museums have evolved as media-makers and important that this continues and will be further
event-makers are aimed to achieve just that, developed. The museums should involve the users
and they are successful as measures of such both in their vision and strategy work, as well as in
expanded roles of modern art museums. The practice. User-involvement should be a part of the
cases therefore serve to exemplify certain museums’ daily work and a formally integrated part
dimensions of the dominant zeitgeist within of their dialogue with the wider society. (Visions for
museology and cultural policy. There does, future museums 2017: 6).
however, seem to be a gap between the
discursive potentials of the second wave of This vision from 2017 was issued by the
cultural democracy, the evening out of power Ministry of Culture in Denmark and marks
relations concerning governing and user- a continuation in further developing user-
involvement, and the actual work that museum involvement in the museums’ work in practice.
professionals encounter at the museums: In terms of cultural policy and museums, we are
therefore witnessing a strong and continuous
About ten years ago, there was almost a religious move towards the dominant discourses of new
way of talking about user-involvement which museology. However, judging by the nature of
was extremely unfortunate because it was totally the digital platforms and the events that this
overrated how much the users actually wanted to be article examines, along with the utterances of
involved, and how much work it actually entails to the five museum professionals, this is not the
involve users. (Heide Smith, SMK). case. Indeed, their communication strategies
more accurately resemble what Hooper-
According to Heide Smith, user-involvement Greenhill (2000) referred to as the transmission
and increased interaction is positive as long model, and even though the museums are
as it does not negatively affect other guests, reaching out to a more diversified population,
as there are numerous museum users that the question still remains of whether these
“still want to go to a museum and see some multi-layered communication strategies really
paintings on a wall in a traditional setting” represent more service to the already serviced?
(Heide Smith, SMK). The Louisiana Channel claims to reach out to
While Heide Smith is certainly correct younger males who do not frequent the onsite
in his observation concerning how user- museum premises, but their communication
involvement almost had “semi-religious” strategies are not democratic in the sense of
connotations approximately ten years ago, we encouraging discussions and deliberations,
also demonstrated that in theoretical terms, or of somehow changing reigning power
this has been a dominant discourse within relations. We observed that Slow and SMK
 Bjarki Valtysson, Sanne Lynge Nilsson & Christine Eva Pedersen

20 Fridays are popular events that attract a og Oplevelsesøkonomien i Danmark (2012), and
significant number of people. But in terms of Visioner for fremtidens museer (2017) are central
demographics, we also observed “more of the in this context.
same”, meaning there is more service to the
already serviced.
Literature
However, this should not be perceived
as a failure in terms of the work that has Altinget. 24.04.2018. [Online]: https://www.altinget.
been conducted by the museums and the dk/kultur/artikel/museumsdirektoer-museer-kan-
four cases that have been scrutinised in this skabe-balance-i-danmark-som-medier
article. Rather, this should be perceived as a Anderson, Gail (ed.) 2004. Reinventing the Museum:
critique of the empowering and emancipative Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the
discourses put forward in much museum Paradigm Shift. Lanham, MA: AltaMira Press.
literature, dominant Danish cultural policy, Bennett, Tony 1995. The Birth of the Museum: History,
and the current cultural policy zeitgeist. These Theory, Politics. London & New York: Routledge.
art museums are professional, state-of-the-art Black, Graham 2010. “Embedding Civic Engagement
cultural institutions with skilled professionals in Museums.” In G. Anderson (ed.). Reinventing
that are very much aware of the need to the Museum: Historical and Contemporary
facilitate multi-layered communication and Perspectives of the Paradigm Shift. Lanham, MA:
dissemination techniques to cater to larger AltaMira Press, 267-286.
audiences. In this sense, they are museums Bourdieu, Pierre 1993. The Field of Cultural
that reach out to be in reach. What they are Production: Essays on Art and Literature.
not is omnipresent museums that can reach Cambridge: Polity Press.
out to all, nor are they institutions suitable to Castells, Manuel 2009. Communication Power. Oxford:
sharing their organisational and governing Oxford University Press.
power with the population. Taking such steps Chambers, Ian, Alessandra De Angelis, Celeste
would entail answers to questions such as how Ianniciello, Mariangela Orabona & Michaela
would such sharing of power actually take Quadraro (eds.) 2014. The Postcolonial Museum:
form in practice, and by somehow doing that The Arts of Memory and the Pressure of History.
would the museums not be reduced as charged Farnham: Ashgate, 25-38.
spaces, and thereby lose this “extra charge” that Cresswell, John W. 2009. Research Design: Qualitative,
makes them so appealing in the first place? Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches.
London: Sage.
Notes Dewdney, Andrew, David Dibosa & Victoria Walsh
(eds.) 2013. Post-Critical Museology: Theory and
1. The observations and interviews were conducted Practice in the Art Museum. London & New York:
by Sanne Lynge Nilsson and Christine Eva Routledge.
Pedersen. Drotner, Kirsten & Kim Christian Schrøder (eds.)
2. The reports and strategies Culture for all (2009), 2013. Museum Communication and Social Media:
Reach Out (2008), Digitalisering af kulturarven The Connected Museum. New York & London:
– Midtvejsrapport fra Digitaliseringsudvalget Routledge.
(2008), Digitaliseringen af kulturarven (2009), Drotner, Kirsten, Dziekan, Parry, Ross Vince &
Reach Out – Inspirationskatalog (2012), Kultur- Kim Christian Schrøder (eds.) 2019. The
 Reaching Out to be in Reach

Routledge Handbook of Museums, Media and https://channel.louisiana.dk/about-us (retrieved 21

Communication. London & New York: Routledge. 20 February 2020)
Duelund, Peter 2008. “Nordic Cultural Policies: A MacLeod, Suzanne (ed.) 2005. Reshaping Museum
Critical View.” International Journal of Cultural Space: Architecture, Design, Exhibitions. London &
Policy, 14, 7-24. New York: Routledge.
Falk, John H. 2009. Identity and the Museum Visitor Mangset, Per, Anita Kangas, Dorte Skot-Hansen &
Experience. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press. Geir Vestheim. 2008. “Editors’ Introduction:
Foucault, Michel 2002. “Governmentality.” In J.D. Nordic Cultural Policy.” International Journal of
Faubion (ed.). Power: Essential Works of Foucault Cultural Policy 14:1, 1-5.
1954-1984. London: Penguin Books, 201-222. Marstine, Janet 2006. “Introduction.” In J. Marstine
Gaskell, George 2000. “Individual and Group (ed.). New Museum Theory and Practice: An
Interviewing.” In M.W. Bauer & G. Gaskell (eds.). Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing,
Qualitative Researching with Texts, Image and 1-36.
Sound. London: Sage, 38-56. McGuigan, Jim 2004. Rethinking Cultural Policy.
Glyptotekets Strategi 2018-2020. Copenhagen: Ny Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Carlsberg Glyptotek. Parry, Ross 2007. Recoding the Museum: Digital
Gray, Clive 2015. The Politics of Museums. New York: Heritage and the Technologies of Change. London
Palgrave Macmillan. & New York: Routledge.
Gurian, Elaine Heumann 2005. “Threshold Fear: Pavement, Peter 2019. “The Museum as Media
Architecture Program Planning.” In G. Anderson Producer: Innovation Before the Digital Age.” In
(ed.). Reinventing the Museum: The Evolving Drotner, K., V. Dziekan, R. Parry & K. Schrøder
Conversation on the Paradigm Shift. Lanham, MD: (eds.). The Routledge Handbook of Museums,
AltaMira Press, 364-375. Media and Communication. London & New York:
Hooper-Greenhill, Eilean 1992. Museums and the Routledge, 31-46.
Shaping of Knowledge. London & New York: Rentschler, Ruth & Anne-Marie Hede (eds.) 2007.
Routledge. Museum Marketing: Competing in the Global
Hooper-Greenhill, Eilean 2000. “Changing Values in Marketspace. Oxford: Elsevier.
the Art Museum: Rethinking Communication Russo, Angelina 2012. “The Rise of the ‘Media
and Learning.” International Journal of Heritage Museum’: Creating Interactive Cultural
Studies 6:1, 9-31. Experiences through Social Media.” In Giaccardi,
Jordan, Glenn & Chris Weedon 1995. Cultural Politics: E. (ed.). Heritage and Social Media: Understanding
Class, Gender, Race and the Postmodern World. Heritage in a Participatory Culture. London &
Oxford & Cambridge: Blackwell. New York: Routledge, 145-157.
Kawulich, Barbara B. 2005. “Participant Observation Samis, Peter & Mimi Michaelson 2017. Creating the
as a Data Collection Method.” Forum: Qualitative Visitor-Centered Museum. New York: Routledge.
Social Research 6:2, art. 43 Simon, Nina 2010. The Participatory Museum. Santa
Koster, Emlyn 2006. “The Relevant Museum: A Cruz, CA: Museum.
Reflection on Sustainability.” In G. Anderson SMK. n.d. [online] About SMK Fridays. URL: https://
(ed.). Reinventing the Museum: Historical and www.smk.dk/en/article/smk-fridays/ (retrieved
Contemporary Perspectives of the Paradigm Shift. 14 March 2020)
Lanham, MA: AltaMira Press, 202-211. SMK Strategi 2018-2021. Copenhagen: Danish
Louisiana Channel. n.d. [online] About us. URL: National Gallery.
 Bjarki Valtysson, Sanne Lynge Nilsson & Christine Eva Pedersen

22 Szulevicz, Thomas 2015. “Deltagerobservation.” In Bjarki Valtysson, associate professor

S. Brinkmann & L. Tanggaard (eds.). Kvalitative Department of Arts and Cultural Studies,
metoder: En grundbog. Copenhagen: Hand University of Copenhagen
Retizels Forlag, 29-53.
Valtysson, Bjarki & Nanna Holdgaard 2019. “The
Museum as a Charged Space: The Duality of Sanne Lynge Nilsson, MA in Modern Culture
Digital Museum Communication.” In K. Drotner, Department of Arts and Cultural Studies,
V. Dziekan, R. Parry & K.C. Schrøder (eds.). The University of Copenhagen
Routledge Handbook of Museums, Media and
Communication. London & New York: Routledge,
159-171. Christine Eva Pedersen, MA in Modern Culture
Vergo, Peter 1989. “Introduction.” In P. Vergo (ed.). Department of Arts and Cultural Studies,
The New Museology. London: Reaktion Books, University of Copenhagen
1-5.
Wright, Philip 1989. “The Quality of Visitors
Experiences in Art Museums.” In P. Vergo (ed.).
The New Museology. London: Reaction Books,
119-148.
Copyright of Journal Nordic Museology / Nordisk Museologi is the property of Journal
Nordic Museology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to
a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may
print, download, or email articles for individual use.