The Democratised Art Museum through the Eyes of its Visitors

This master thesis researched the impact of the democratising turn on visitors’ experiences and their evaluations, using the Dordrechts Museum as a case study. It answered the research question How does the integration of democratising elements through exhibitions and programming impact the appreciation and experience of museum visitors. It studied how the integration of participatory, performative and visitor-centred approaches effects the evaluation and experiences of the audience in a regional art museum. The theoretical framework delineates the evolution from traditional to new museology, emphasising the shift from authoritative institutions to interactive multi-perspective environments. Through a mixed-method approach, combining surveys and interviews, the research gathers a wide-range of visitor perspectives on the Dordrechts Museum’s democratising turn and this trend within museum studies in general. By performing a narrative analysis, the findings indicate that the impact of the democratising turn foster greater visitor engagement, sense of belonging and a deeper personal connection with the museum. As long as the interactive possibilities remain non-obligatory and the audience has freedom to determine their route and pace during their visit, the overall attitude towards the democratising turn is very positive. This study contributes to the discourse on new museology by providing an intersectional, audience centred approach to its implementation.