Forum, Depot, Maze: Toward a Plural Ecology of Museums

Louvre Museum, Entrance to a section of the Musée Napoléon III. Image © A. Dequier - M. Bard via Wikipedia under Public Domain

This article is part of our new Opinion section, a format for argument-driven essays on critical questions shaping our field.

Traditionally, a museum visit is a calendared occasion with a clearly scripted sequence. Arrival is ceremonially marked—by grand stairs or thresholds, by ticketing and information desks, by an audio guide and a concise institutional preface about mission and history.