Museums in the era of digital revolution. Persuasive communication and multimodal approaches for overcoming the digital divide

Abstract

The museum, intended as a mere container aimed only at the conservation of objects, has long since given space to activities of cultural production and promotion that have finally allowed the entry of new forms of communication. Based on dynamic storytelling and multimodal information, they propose to implement an effective dialogue with the anthropological, economic, social and cultural context, activating a set of various activities aimed at conveying complex and constantly evolving messages. From the simple linear and didactic communication mode, we move toward informative, persuasive and educational communication. But the most interesting aspect of this evolution is that it has strongly modified the exhibition logics and the ways in which cultural contents are used by the public. Based on these premises, we present in this article the results of some methodological approaches experimented in different museum installations. They consider different criteria, from passive to active visit, from serious games to immersive enjoyment.