MuseumNext Case Studies Show How Six Museums Made Objects Resonate With Visitors
An article from MuseumNext presents six strategies for captivating audiences with museum artifacts, drawing from examples in virtual conferences. A Tudor-era knitted cap at the London Museum was re-evaluated through conservation efforts. Xuxa Kidd noted that content about uncertainty on iPhone garnered 1.1 million views. The Van Gogh Museum's Date Your Painting initiative, discussed by Jolein van Kregten and Fenne de Beer, revealed that just 55% of participants felt a stronger connection. Argentina's Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes launched The Artois Probability, its top interactive experience. Beatrice Prutton showcased the Day Release films from the Sainsbury Centre. Additionally, the Natural History Museum announced the digitization of its six-millionth specimen, reported by Jennifer Pullar. Anna Faherty previously highlighted the importance of narratives centered on people rather than objects.
Key facts
- London Museum's knitted cap was initially dated as Tudor but conservation revealed a chequered pattern, disproving the claim.
- The museum's social media content about the cap reached 1.1 million views after being shot on an iPhone in an afternoon.
- The Van Gogh Museum's Date Your Painting pilot matched visitors to artworks using AI, with only about 55% reporting a deeper connection.
- The Artois Probability, a collaboration with Stella Artois and GUT Buenos Aires, became the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes' most popular interactive experience.
- The Sainsbury Centre's Day Release films feature artworks leaving the museum, including Francis Bacon's Study for Portrait of P.L., No. 2 visiting the Colony Room Club.
- The Natural History Museum digitised its six-millionth specimen, Calosoma sycophanta, uncovering a previously unrecorded feeding behavior.
- The Great North Museum: Hancock worked with Beacon Films to co-produce digital interpretation, presented at Museum Digital Summit 2026.
- Anna Faherty's MuseumNext article argued that museums should start with people rather than objects to create engaging stories.
Entities
Artists
- Anna Faherty
- Alessio
- Xuxa Kidd
- Jolein van Kregten
- Fenne de Beer
- Vincent van Gogh
- Francis Bacon
- Peter Lacy
- Henry Moore
- Jennifer Pullar
- Beatrice Prutton
- Kate Holden
- Andrew Coats
- Zosia Feher
Institutions
- MuseumNext
- London Museum
- Van Gogh Museum
- Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
- Stella Artois
- GUT Buenos Aires
- Sainsbury Centre
- Natural History Museum
- Great North Museum: Hancock
- Beacon Films
- Museums & Social Media Summit
- Museum AI Summit
- Museum Digital Summit
- Digital Collections Summit
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Buenos Aires
- Argentina
- Leuven
- Belgium
- Norwich
- Soho
- Castleford
- Newcastle
- Thames