In order to analyse the visitors experience, the visitors experience and the learning of it is being explained by the example of the exhibition The Artist is Present by Marina Abramović in the Museum of Modern Arts in New York, putting it in reference to the Contextual Model of Learning (2000/2004) by Falk and Dierking. The exhibition took place in the MoMA in New York from March 14th until May 31st 2010 and showed the career of Marina Abramović with about fifty works spanning over four decades of her early interventions and sound pieces, video works, installations, photographs, solo performances, and collaborative performances made with Ulay (Uwe Laysiepen). In addition, Abramović performed an original work, that marked the longest duration of time that she has performed a single solo piece. Underlining the title of the exhibition „The Artist is Present“, for this performance Abramović sat on a chair in the middle of one level of the MoMA, in front of a table and another chair. This performance for the show asked visitors to come sit with her and essentially become a part of the performance piece.
To see what the visitors experienced and learned at this exhibition, the personal experience at The Artist is Present, written by Fracis Prose in the article Marina Abramović: When Art Makes Us Cry on the website of The New York Review will be analysed, as well as the things she has potentially learned during and after her visit at MoMA. Her statements about the visit to MoMA will be examined based on her personal, physical and sociocultural context in order to find out what she has ultimately learned during and after the visit to Abramović’s exhibition.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Falk and Dierking's Contextual Model of Learning
- Joint approach
- The Interactive Experience Model
- The Museum Experience (1992)
- The Interactive Experience Model
- Personal Context
- Physical Context
- Social Context
- The Contextual Model of Learning (2000/2004)
- Comparism of the two models
- Example
- Short term learning
- Long term learning
- Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present
- The Visitors Experience at „The Artist is Present”
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This text explores the concept of learning in museum environments. Its objective is to examine the process of learning in museums by analyzing the visitor's experience through the lens of the Contextual Model of Learning developed by Falk and Dierking. This model takes into account the personal, sociocultural, and physical contexts of museum visitors, highlighting the importance of these factors in shaping the learning experience.
- The Contextual Model of Learning
- The influence of personal context on learning
- The impact of sociocultural context on learning
- The role of physical context in shaping the museum experience
- Analysis of the visitors' experience at "The Artist is Present" exhibition
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction sets the stage by highlighting the increasing popularity of museums and introduces the work of Falk and Dierking, whose "Contextual Model of Learning" provides a framework for understanding how visitors learn in museums. The chapter delves into Falk and Dierking's "Interactive Experience Model" (1992), which focuses on personal, physical, and social contexts of visitors. This model is further expanded in 2000/2004 to incorporate the temporal dimension, emphasizing the evolution of these contexts over time. An example is provided to illustrate the application of the model in analyzing the learning experiences of two museum visitors. The text further explores the visitors' experience at the "The Artist is Present" exhibition by Marina Abramovic, applying the "Contextual Model of Learning" to understand the impact of the artist's presence and the environment on visitors.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The central keywords and focus topics of the text are: museum learning, Contextual Model of Learning, Falk and Dierking, Interactive Experience Model, personal context, sociocultural context, physical context, time, "The Artist is Present" exhibition, Marina Abramovic, visitor experience, learning process, museum practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the "Contextual Model of Learning" in museums?
Developed by Falk and Dierking, it suggests that museum learning is shaped by three overlapping contexts: the personal, the sociocultural, and the physical context, all of which evolve over time.
What was unique about Marina Abramović’s exhibition "The Artist is Present"?
The artist sat silently in the MoMA for over 700 hours, inviting visitors to sit across from her, making the visitor an active part of the performance piece.
How does the "Personal Context" influence a museum visit?
It includes a visitor's prior knowledge, interests, and motivations, which determine what they focus on and what they ultimately learn from an exhibition.
What is the "Sociocultural Context" in the museum experience?
It refers to the social interaction during the visit (e.g., visiting with friends or family) and the broader cultural background that influences how art is perceived.
Can museum learning be measured immediately?
Learning in museums often involves both short-term impressions and long-term reflections that may only become clear days or weeks after the visit.
- Quote paper
- Maleen Junge (Author), 2017, The Museum Visitor Experience at Marina Abramović’s "The Artist is Present", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1254166
