Museum of Feelings: Corporate Stunt or Legitimate Art?
Corporate Sponsorship and the Museum Landscape
Corporate sponsorship has long been a part of the American museum system. Museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History have received millions in donations from corporations like the Koch brothers and SC Johnson.
While corporate sponsorship can provide valuable funding for museums, it also raises questions about the legitimacy of museums that are heavily influenced by corporate interests.
The Museum of Feelings: A Case Study
The Museum of Feelings, a pop-up museum in New York City, is a prime example of a museum that has been accused of being more of a marketing stunt than a legitimate cultural institution.
The museum, which is sponsored by the air freshener company Glade, features five rooms, each themed after a different emotion and scented with a corresponding Glade fragrance. Visitors move from one room to another, experiencing a multi-sensory journey that is designed to evoke certain emotions.
Entertainment vs. Education
Critics of the Museum of Feelings argue that it lacks the educational value that is typically associated with museums. They point out that the museum does not offer any information about the science of emotion or the history of museums. Instead, it simply provides visitors with a sensory experience that is designed to entertain rather than educate.
The Role of Pedagogy
David Ward, a senior historian at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., argues that the lack of pedagogical logic is what sets the Museum of Feelings apart from other museums.
“This is more like a massage parlor than a museum,” Ward says. “A museum should be a place where we learn about the world around us, not just a place where we go to be entertained.”
The Future of Museum Curation
The Museum of Feelings is part of a larger trend in American culture towards crowdsourcing art and culture. This trend is driven by the belief that the masses are better equipped than scholars and academics to determine what is valuable and meaningful.
However, Ward warns that this trend could lead to a decline in the quality of museums. “Instead of rationality and pedagogy, we’re getting something closer to a carnival,” he says.
The Importance of Social Significance
In order to be considered a legitimate museum, Ward argues that an institution must have a demonstrable social significance. It must offer something more than just entertainment. It must contribute to our understanding of the world around us and help us to become better citizens.
The Museum of Feelings, in Ward’s view, fails to meet this критерий. It is simply a clever marketing stunt that is designed to sell air fresheners.
The Science of Smell and Emotion
The Museum of Feelings is based on the idea that smell is closely tied to emotion. While there is some truth to this claim, the relationship between smell and emotion is not as simple as the museum makes it seem.
Amanda White, a neuroscience Ph.D at the University of Michigan, explains that the regions of the brain that process olfaction, emotion, and memory are tightly connected, but it’s not a one-to-one relationship.
“Memory is really the function that bridges the two,” she says. “Somebody may have an extremely negative emotion tied to a scent because of the memories it evokes.”
Conclusion
Whether or not the Museum of Feelings is a legitimate museum is a matter of debate. Some critics argue that it is simply a marketing stunt that lacks educational value. Others argue that it is a new and innovative way to experience art and emotion.
Ultimately, it is up to each individual to decide whether or not the Museum of Feelings is worth their time and money.
