THE MUSEUM AND THE BODY
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Authors
Maffre, Muriel
Issue Date
2010
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
The art museum has traditionally been an object-centered museum, and a place that principally provides visual and aural experiences: that is, seeing art, reading labels about art, or listening to docents talk about art. This established paradigm has contributed to an association between the art museum visit and the idea of a passive, static, and mental experience. This master's thesis investigates how expressive movement can infuse the museum visit with life and induce optimal experiences. "Expressive movement," here, means a movement whose quality is not motivated by the need to accomplish a task, but by a desire to embody an idea. Csikszentmihalyi defines "optimal experience" as a state of concentration, deep involvement, and enjoyment that is similar to an experience of transcendence extending beyond of the boundaries of a passive and receptive self. Steiner (1977) says in Eurythmy as Visible Music, "What wants to sing in man also wants to manifest in forms of movement" (p.10). Using Steiner's quote as a tenet, this thesis argues that the innate potential of humans to channel understanding and response through expressive movement can safely enliven institutional knowledge, release internalized emotions, and optimize art museum experiences.