According to the International Council of Museums (ICOM), a museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets, and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible, and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally, and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection, and knowledge sharing.
Expanding on this refined definition of what a Museum is supposed to be, ICOM has discussed the three major pillars of sustainable Museum ecosystems in the rapidly changing world at the recent global conference held in Dubai.
- Safeguarding Intangible Heritage.
- The role of the Youth in forging museums of tomorrow.
- Opportunities for museums to tap into the potential of New Technologies to create new forms of expression, enhance audience engagement, and improve visitor experiences.
All three are supposed to work in tandem and complement each other, embracing the cross-disciplinary practices essential to maintain the framework.
Unfortunately, that's precisely where India falls short.
The subcontinent is blessed with an unmatched cultural inheritance while holding millennia of history in its soil, and yet, when it comes to Museums, we often find ourselves "stuck in the past." Not in the sense of history, but in the way we choose to preserve and present it. Attendance numbers in many of India’s museums are stagnant or declining. Visitors, especially the younger generation, seem far more interested in walking through ancient ruins under the open sky, absorbing the experiential beauty of architectural marvels and scenic landscapes, than wandering static display halls filled with lifeless glass cases.
This is not a uniquely Indian problem. Museum culture is struggling across the world. However, despite the temporary resurgence in attendance when a Keeladi is discussed here or a Ratnagiri is excavated there, India has seen a consistent stagnation, if not absolute regression, in the public interest in Museums over the years.
But how do we tackle this problem? What examples do we adopt?
Fortunately, we don't have to look that far to understand the steps India could take.
China, with an equally long, if not longer, recorded History to protect and preserve, once faced the same dilemma. But rather than accepting irrelevance, it undertook a radical reimagining of its museums, turning them into dynamic cultural hubs where archaeology, technology, and public imagination converge. In other words, by turning archaeological sites into living museums and leveraging cutting-edge technology, China has not only revived interest in its past but has made it a central part of its modern identity. Let's look at some examples from the significant technological and cultural advancements in Chinese museums to understand why innovating museum culture in India is not merely an option, but a crucial necessity for preserving national heritage, engaging new generations, and tackling the challenge of waning public interest.
The "Site-as-Museum" Solution
As mentioned, the core challenge facing museums globally, and acutely in India, is the disconnect between vast cultural heritage and the public's engagement. Traditional museums, with their limited physical space and often uninspired display methods, can no longer meet the expectations of a digitally-native audience seeking interactive and experiential activities. This often results in a preference for visiting tangible historical sites over museums, as the former offers a more direct and visceral connection to the past.
China has addressed this reality by blurring the lines between an archaeological site and a museum. The Sanxingdui site in Sichuan Province, hosting one of the most talked-about archeological discoveries of the past two decades, is a prime example. It is not just a collection of artifacts in a building but an expansive National Heritage Park that integrates the excavation sites themselves into the visitor experience.
The Sanxingdui Museum has heavily invested in technology to create more engaging and interactive experiences for visitors, especially younger generations who prefer such methods over traditional ones. The lighting design is a key example, employing a "change-tolerant" concept with ERCO luminaires that have interchangeable lenses and are controlled by the Casambi Bluetooth system. This allows curators to precisely adjust beam angles and light intensity without disturbing the artifacts, creating dramatic contrasts that highlight the unique features of each piece, such as the rich hues of the bronze masks. |
| Hello Sanxingdui exhibition Source: China Daily |
This approach transforms the site from a static point of historical interest into a dynamic center for discovery, research, and public education. By building state-of-the-art facilities directly at the source, China preserves the context of the discoveries and allows the public to witness archaeology in action, turning the process of unearthing history into a captivating public spectacle. This strategy of treating the site as the primary exhibit could be transformative for India’s numerous archaeological treasures, turning them into immersive destinations that attract far greater and more sustained public interest.
Interestingly, the efforts shown at Sanxingdui were not exclusive. They were a part of the overarching, comprehensive digital revolution built on four pillars, replicable and replicated across various sites in China.
- Digital Collection and Storage: Creating high-fidelity digital archives of cultural heritage.
- Digital Restoration and Reproduction: Using technology like computer vision to virtually repair and reconstruct damaged artifacts.
- Digital Display and Dissemination: Leveraging new media to create immersive and globally accessible exhibitions.
- Virtual Product Development: Designing cultural and creative products that extend the museum's reach.
Pioneering projects like the Digital Forbidden City, Digital Old Summer Palace, and Digital Dunhuang (discussed in detail in another post) exemplify this strategy. The Palace Museum, for instance, turned the ancient painting "Night Revels of Han Xizai" into a mobile app allowing users to zoom in with up to 4K resolution, offering detail impossible in a physical viewing. Similarly, the Dunhuang Academy (please refer to the same post) digitally recreated inaccessible caves like Mogao Cave 285. Visitors wearing VR headsets can now "fly" through the space, inspect murals up close, and experience the art in stunning detail, an experience that sustainably preserves the fragile originals. This approach not only solves the issue of limited space but democratizes access, making heritage available to anyone, anywhere.
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| Interactive experience provided by Tencent Source: Tencent |
None of these were "experimental models" thrown at a wall either. Various departments in China, using traditional and frontier research methodologies, took outstanding steps in understanding the behaviours of not an average Museum visitor, but individual age groups.
And they have realized something so obvious in retrospect, but practically unexplored in reality.
Pulling the Lever
The modern museum visitor seeks emotional connection, participation, and even entertainment. Not just passive observation. China has successfully met this demand by integrating technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) to create deeply engaging experiences that transform the visitor into an active participant.
Augmented Reality (AR) acts as an important "accessory" to those prioritizing real-life interactions over purely digital bravado. They seamlessly blend real and virtual information. Chinese museums use AR for interactive 3D cultural relic displays, virtual "try-ons" with historical costumes, and engaging photo opportunities with artifacts that can be shared on social media. The Jingdezhen China Ceramic Museum, for example, uses AR and AI in a digital light and shadow exhibition to immerse visitors in the world of ceramics. Visitors to the Chengdu Museum can wear AR glasses to see pop-up images and video explanations of exhibits. Sanxingdui uses a technique that can be best described as a "progressive awe," by steadily increasing the magnanimity of displayed items from one section of the museum to another, creating a sense of "slow-absorption into the past" as the visitor moves through the halls, with beautifully crafted AR technologies to aid the process.
On the other hand, AI-Powered Interactivity personalizes the visitor experience and alleviates staffing shortages. The Prince Kung’s Palace Museum in Beijing plans to launch an online version where AI avatars of the museum's mascots will answer visitor questions. At the Sanxingdui Museum, AI helps create intelligent guided tours and personalized visit suggestions based on visitor data analysis.
Tow or Guide?
And that generously paved the way for us to discuss the most important, and perhaps the most controversial, application of frontier technology. If the reader will recall, we casually mentioned the Chinese efforts at studying the visitors' behaviour patterns to enhance Museum efficiency. This is not a matter that can be reduced to function within the Museum environment. The idea of attracting a wider, less-interested, general public to stepping into an actual, physical Museum must extend far beyond the exhibition halls if it is to be materialized. In other words, there is a concerted effort to integrate cultural heritage into daily life through cultural and creative products, a strategy that generates revenue and acts as a powerful tool for cultural dissemination.
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| Sanxingdui collectibles Source: Global Times |
The Sanxingdui Museum, for instance, uses AI to analyze market trends and consumer preferences to design unique products that resonate with modern audiences, especially youth. By leveraging AI for creative generation, designers can produce everything from toys and school supplies to home decorations and digital games inspired by ancient artifacts like the bronze Dali Man. This ensures that ancient history remains relevant and accessible. Furthermore, Tencent’s collaboration to feature Sanxingdui landscapes in blockbuster games like Honor of Kings extends this reach to millions of young players, embedding cultural heritage into popular entertainment.
The exploitation of visual media isn't a sole responsibility of the Museum departments either. Leveraging China's huge Soft power that was previously untapped to a large extent, various Chinese industries are now treating History and Culture as a commodity. From animated movies like Chang'An and Ne Zha to AAA Video games like Black Myth: Wukong, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, and the upcoming Blood Message, the History of China is taking a tour around the globe, attracting not only a new set of audience, but also a revived curiosity.
This is complemented by China's proactive efforts in promoting its museum culture globally. The Sanxingdui Museum’s "Global Promotion Strategy" has resulted in its content reaching over 20 million overseas netizens, making it one of the most influential Chinese museums internationally. Through documentaries on platforms like CCTV, online tours, and social media engagement on platforms like TikTok, Chinese museums have also successfully turned their cultural assets into global phenomena.
In short, if I may, this has always been a Collaboration. Something the various departments in India, Public and Private, still struggle with when it comes to the assimilation of multiple disciplines for a common cause.
The Imperative for India
For India, a nation with a similarly rich and diverse cultural tapestry, the lessons from China are profound. Innovating museum culture is essential to:
1. Revitalize Public Interest and Combat Waning Attendance: As mentioned, by adopting the "site-as-museum" model for its archaeological treasures and integrating immersive technologies, India can create destination experiences that are far more compelling than traditional museums.
2. Engage the Youth: India has one of the world's youngest populations. To ensure cultural continuity, museums must adopt the interactive, tech-driven formats that this demographic finds appealing.
3. Democratize Access: Digital museums and online exhibitions can overcome the geographical and economic barriers that prevent many Indians from visiting physical institutions, bringing heritage to every corner of the country.
4. Boost Cultural Economy and Soft Power: By developing a vibrant market for cultural products and strategically promoting its heritage through various, accessible media, India can enhance its global cultural influence and create new economic opportunities.
Does this mean that the Government of India is not putting in the effort? Obviously not. We already have ambitious projects moving forward in the right direction. However, for a nation as big as India, the Public sector alone cannot sustain its Museum culture. Nor can the volatile, political, and mostly regressive discussions on archeological findings keep the public curiosity alive long enough to have any beneficial impact on the environment. For example, the sudden boom and eventual maintenance of the public interest on Sanxingdui, a culture as important to China as Harappa or Keeladi is to India, wasn't a product of tug-of-war fueled by power politics. It was a genuine effort by the capable institutions in China that kept the findings and their implications alive, fueling curiosity rather than controversies. In other words, there must be an emphasis on creating an ecosystem where multiple Private, Non-Governmental, and Non-Profit organizations contribute positively to its sustenance. That's where the journey of Chinese museums from traditional repositories to interactive cultural powerhouses demonstrates that innovation is the key to keeping history alive. By reconceptualizing the museum itself, embracing digital technology, and thinking creatively about cultural dissemination, India too can transform its own institutions, ensuring that its magnificent civilizational story continues to inspire and resonate with audiences at home and across the world.
Further Reading:
1. Digital Revitalization of Museums: An Analysis of the Digital Marketing Strategy of the Sanxingdui Museum, Jiayi Zhang, Department of Advertisement, Communication University of China, Beijing, China2. C. Li, Z. Cui, J. Chen, and N. Zhou. (2019) Brand Revitalization of Heritage Enterprises for Cultural Sustainability in the Digital Era: A Case Study in China. Sustainability 2019, 11(6), 1769.
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