Museums re-imagined: telling our stories in new ways

As we head into a long weekend, here's some inspiration to visit a museum.

Today’s museums are more interactive, inclusive, and innovative than ever before – so if you wrote them off as dull, it’s time to think again.

The transformation of museums over time has been profound, says UNSW’s Professor Louise Ravelli, an expert on museum design and communication from the School of the Arts & Media.

“The museums of today are a world away from the elite collections of the 1600s and 1700s that displayed artefacts picked up by the wealthy on their travels,” says Prof. Ravelli.

“They’ve shifted from bespoke collections for the privileged few to dynamic spaces that invite dialogue, participation, and even virtual exploration.”

From private ‘cabinets of curiosity’ to elevating diverse voices

Early museums were exclusive and eclectic. Described as ‘cabinets of curiosity’, they were rooms or display cabinets in private houses filled with objects picked up by the wealthy on their travels and shared with guests by invitation only.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, museums evolved into grand public institutions, such as the British Museum in London, with collections meticulously organised into categories designed to educate visitors as they walked through.

“And towards the end of the 20th century, around the 1980s, there was another real shift, reflecting broader social changes,” says Prof. Ravelli.

“Just as the move towards ‘plain English’ gained momentum, museums began presenting their collections in more engaging and accessible ways, so non-experts could connect more easily with what was on display,” says Prof. Ravelli.

The 21st century has brought even more change – museums now share multiple perspectives, including stories that historically would have been overlooked.

Whose stories get told

“Museums do an incredible job of presenting information in engaging and interactive ways, but a key part of the process is choosing which story to tell and from what perspective,” says Prof. Ravelli.

“And this means that they can also be cultural battlegrounds about representation and authority, as they negotiate multiple perspectives and political viewpoints,” she says.

At its most violent, this battleground can see museums ransacked, closed or even destroyed. At its most subtle, it can look like curatorial choices designed to shape national identity.

Such a contest of ideas has occurred throughout history and continues to this day. In the US, a 2025 Executive Order titled ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History’, mandated that public monuments and museum displays emphasise national achievement rather than examining historical injustices – a move critics say curtails honest engagement with the past.

“The order singled out the Smithsonian for allegedly adopting a ‘divisive, race-centred ideology’ through an exhibit exploring how race shapes systems of power,” explains Prof. Ravelli.

“In the past there was an idea that museums shared ‘facts’ in uncontested or unproblematic ways – even though such objectivity does not in fact exist. But increasingly they reflect the acceptance of multiple points of view in their exhibitions,” says Prof. Ravelli.

The reframing of an often-told story

Closer to home, the exhibition Eight Days in Kamay, which ran at the State Library of NSW in 2020, reframed the story of James Cook’s initial landfall in Australia in 1770 from an Indigenous perspective.

The exhibition, which coincided with the 250th anniversary of Cook’s arrival, presented the ‘so-called’ British discovery of Australia in terms of an Indigenous encounter.

Upon entry, visitors read the following explanation: "In April 1770 strangers appeared off the shore of Kamay (Botany Bay). The eight days those strangers spent on Gweagal lands and waters pulsed with curiosity and unease on both sides."

“The explanatory texts of the exhibition were not only written by Indigenous peoples, but included the spoken voices and written transcripts of direct descendants of the people who first encountered Cook", explains Prof. Ravelli.

One of these texts quotes Gweagal Knowledge holder Shayne Williams who explains, “So the Aboriginal people here, the Gweagal people, knew [Cook and his crew] were on their way, they were waiting for them, they were prepared. So, I can't see how the British discovered us when in fact we discovered them at Point Hicks and followed them all the way along the coast. We discovered them before they even set foot on land!”

“Highlighting the voices of the Gweagal people of Kamay (Botany Bay) in this exhibition was a powerful example of how museums are embracing inclusion and dialogue,” says Prof. Ravelli.

Another example of reframing can be seen in the Netherlands, in their famous ‘Mauritshuis’ museum – home of Vermeer’s ‘Girl with the Pearl Earring’, among other treasures. Their ‘Lost Museum’ exhibition of 2024 interrogated the ethics of collecting and display as it takes place.

“As you look at a cabinet displaying various historical objects, you notice a small sign, ‘Nowadays not on view’. This makes the viewer reflect: what is it that has been taken away, and why? It’s a very simple strategy but creates a very poignant and powerful moment.”

Museums are for everyone

The International Council of Museums’ latest definition describes museums as “accessible and inclusive, fostering diversity and sustainability… operating with the participation of communities.”

“The definition captures the broader social and technological changes that have taken place in museums as they move away from presenting exhibitions from the perspective of an all-knowing expert curator and towards visitor-centred experiences,” says Prof. Ravelli.

Digital technology has also helped to make the museum experience more accessible than ever, Prof. Ravelli says.

This can include highlighting collections online, as with individual stories of migration at the Australian National Maritime Museum or offering virtual excursions at the Hyde Park Barracks, so students can access learning experiences from remote and regional locations.

“Virtual exhibitions, interactive media, and even ‘digital twins’ of objects allow visitors to engage with collections in ways that were unimaginable a generation ago,” she says.

For example, you can take virtual tours through galleries around the world or zoom in to take in the most subtle brush strokes of a painting. Examples include:

Rijksmuseum (Netherlands) – offering high-resolution digital access, opens in a new window to masterpieces.

Sir John Soane’s Museum (UK) – where visitors can ‘fly through’ a virtual tour, opens in a new window of its historic interiors.

“Museums today are closer to their goal of offering something for everyone: education, entertainment, inspiration, and a chance to reflect on the stories that shape our world,” says Prof. Ravelli.

"So, whether you choose to visit in person or explore a virtual exhibition from your home, it’s time to revisit the museum."