Eye tracking, spatial biases and normative spectatorship in museums

Abstract

This study examines the viewing behavior of museum spectators during three eye-tracking experiments, the participants in which included wheelchair and non–chair users. The study pays particular attention to the spatial biases of spectators, such as the tendency to scan artworks from left to right or top to bottom. These spatial biases, the authors suggest, enhance our understanding of “normative spectatorship,” both by demonstrating how normative ideas about spectators’ bodies shape exhibition display practices and by revealing how display practices contribute to fostering normative viewing behavior.