Connecting To Art Pieces In A Museum
How changing the way you look around the museum can help you find you
Taiwan Trip
I recently had a short trip to Taiwan as part of my mid-year vacation. Due to my being aloof during my past visits to historical museums in my own country, I originally didn’t plan to visit their traditional museum which was the National Palace Museum located in Taipei.
I haven’t planned any itinerary for my four-day trip so I just let my native friend Andrew and his brother think about where to go and what to do during my stay.
I was surprised to know they planned for his brother, Chris,to bring me to the National Palace Museum on my first day. Though I had no intentions of visiting that museum, I did stick with the plan and went with his brother.
How I normally spend time in museums
To be honest, this was my first time going to a museum not on my own and not with a big group. This was the first time I went to a museum with a small group — which meant just me and Chris.
Having gone to museums alone for so many times, I already got used to just staring at art pieces and historical artifacts for long periods of time while speaking no word. Sometimes, that also meant thinking no words.
I also experienced going to museums in large groups and those were the usual museum trip with a tour guide explaining everything about the exhibitions while the visitors wander around with their eyes and with their thoughts, me included.
But this time was different.
I went with another person. It was a step up from doing things alone and a step down from going on a trip with a group.
It was my first time to meet Chris and I’ve never been to any foreign museum with a local. Going to the museum with him who was a local seemed like a great way to look deeper into the exhibitions in the museum because he was there as a companion and not as a tour guide.
I thought this time I wouldn’t have to stare at the exhibitions blankly without any thought or word. This time I wouldn’t only have realizations of my own. This time, I would have a dialog.
And I was right.
The moment we looked inside and looked at the art pieces, artifacts, paintings and other historical archives, we started discussing.
Chris would start by telling what those things were and why they were a major part of the development of their historical identity and the discussion would go on as to how those things have similarities and differences with what we have in my country.
Culture Exchange
I felt that there was an exchange. It wasn’t only between me and Chris but also between the exhibitions and the two of us.
We were exchanging our thoughts and interpreting what was presented to us by the museum.
We spent most of our time looking at paintings and interpreting the stories behind and the subtleties that were in the paintings.
It would be too much words to write and too much of a spoiler if I were to write down our discussions about the paintings and other articles that were in the Taiwan National Palace Museum so I would just rather encourage readers to try what we have done: visit a museum with someone from a different culture and have a healthy exchange of thoughts and ideas.
So far, that was my first museum visit where I really felt what we would easily tag as Culture Exchange.
A must-try for visiting foreign historical museums (in my opinion)
- Don’t go alone.
- Don’t go with a large group.
- Do go with a friend or a stranger who is a local. (one or two companion would be find, whichever you are comfortable with)
- Don’t get a tour guide who would explain things to you.
- Do discuss with a friend and educate each other by giving each other a taste of each one’s culture.
Though this is still a new thing to me, I know you might have already done this before. If you did, I’d be happy to listen/read your story. If not, share how you plan to do your next trip to a museum.
