The affective turn in museums and the rise of affective curatorship

Abstract

This article examines the affective turn in museums: what does it mean for museum theory and practice? How can we theorize its effects? In order to address these questions, the article develops the concept of ‘affective curatorship’, denoting curatorial approaches specifically aimed to affect visitors emotionally. Drawing on recent museological literature and exhibition projects in Europe and North America, the article exemplifies the qualities of affective curatorship and examines how emotions can be leveraged in curatorial practice in connection with the exhibition theme, activities, design, and the senses. The main finding is that affective curatorship is subtly transforming curatorial practice and, through that, the way we think and feel about museums. As a curatorial, theoretical and analytical perspective, affect offers crucial insights into the new roles that museums can play in increasingly emotionally demanding times.