Visitor perceptions of art exhibitions: an examination of two different ways of exhibiting art at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Abstract

This thesis explores how museum visitors prefer art to be displayed. It was prompted by recent criticism of the style of presenting art at New Zealand's national museum Te Papa Tongarewa. Two exhibiting approaches are investigated: 'Made in New Zealand', a museum-based style of exhibiting art, with a strong narrative where the works are contextualised; and 'Past Presents', a more traditional mode of exhibiting art where the works are objectified. This research was aimed at establishing whether the public perceives these exhibitions as different; what makes them different; and which alternative the public prefers. The findings revealed that the audience considers each exhibition to be distinct. 'Made in New Zealand' is perceived as a museum exhibit, while 'Past Presents' is more of an art exhibition. Audiences with a high interest in art considered the narrative-based mode of display of 'Made in New Zealand' to be more consistent with what they consider to be an 'excellent' art exhibition. The audience who is not interested in art gain little satisfaction from 'Past Presents', but respond more favourably to 'Made in New Zealand'.