Echoes Between Art and Audience

During my time at Kunsthal Aarhus, I worked closely with researchers from PIT – Center for Participatory IT at Aarhus University on a project that explored what happens when museum communication becomes truly dialogic.

The project — Skriv din egen formidlingstekst (“Write Your Own Interpretation Text”) — was aimed at adult visitors, inviting them to take an active role in shaping how art was presented and understood. Instead of passively reading curatorial texts on the wall, visitors were encouraged to respond, rewrite, and expand on what they saw — using digital tools installed directly in the exhibition space.

A conversation, not a lecture

At the heart of the project was a simple but radical idea: that interpretation could be a conversation rather than a statement. Visitors could type short reflections or reactions onto screens, comment on other visitors’ inputs, or remix curatorial descriptions into something personal.

As part of the Kunsthal team, I helped shape the format and communication framework. What fascinated me most was how this seemingly small shift — from reading to writing — changed the entire atmosphere of the exhibition. People stayed longer. They argued, laughed, questioned, connected. The museum suddenly became a space of dialogue, not instruction.

Designing for participation

Working with PIT’s researchers gave me a new perspective on the role of technology in cultural spaces. It wasn’t about gadgets or digital display — it was about agency. The design of the interface, the tone of the prompts, even the placement of screens—all these factors influenced how visitors dared to express themselves.

Some wrote poetic fragments, others shared memories, and a few even challenged the curatorial voice. The result wasn’t tidy, but it was alive — a shared, messy, human dialogue around art.

From participatory IT to participatory storytelling

Looking back, this collaboration deeply influenced how I think about storytelling today. The project was aimed at adults, but its underlying principle — that meaning grows through dialogue — became the foundation for my later work with children and digital storytelling.

In many ways, Saganauts continues that conversation: using technology not to dictate meaning, but to invite participation. Where the PIT project opened interpretive spaces for adults in museums, Saganauts opens imaginative spaces for children — built on the same belief that stories come alive when audiences have a voice.

Read more about the project between PIT and Kunsthal Aarhus here