Fostering inclusion in art museums through mobile digital content

Abstract

This paper deals with digitally mediated museum experiences of novice visitors at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and discusses them in the context of museum inclusion. Research participants included families with young children and members of minority communities in Vienna whose visit was facilitated by two app-based guided tours developed for children. The research goal was to explore the impact of the mobile guide’s digital content and modes of communication on the visitors’ interaction with the guide, with the museum space and objects, and with family members. The families’ interactions were observed, recorded and analyzed. The results suggest that carefully considered and created content on mobile guides has the potential to provide novice family visitors with experiences that support their independence and active engagement, create opportunities for mutual facilitation, and support their different identities, all of which have been considered as conducive to inclusion.