Storytelling in every mode

The importance of museums in every walk of life has evolved over the years. The magnitude of this evolution has led the likes of Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) to believe that museums have the potential to help people transition into an optimistic future. The DFF and govt have worked together in bringing a powerful experience to a wider audience.

In the recent Ramadan Pioneer Series webinar titled “Shifting the Notion of Museums: From Past to Future” hosted by the Dubai Future Academy, Lāth Carlson, Executive Director of the Museum of the Future, took this idea forward.  He explored the role of museums in helping people transition into new eras as we move forward into the future.

Six years ago, the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) started creating pop-up museum experiences in coordination with the World Government Summit in Dubai, UAE. Each year, a different theme was chosen. Within that theme, the DFF created an immersive environment where guests could truly experience what an optimistic future looked like around a subject. This culminated into a very powerful experience for the guests and it steered the thoughts of the DFF and the government towards bringing this experience to a wider audience in the form of the Museum of the Future.

The concept of the Museum will play to the strengths of what museums have done over the years, which is to become effective storytellers. The environment provided by the Museum will be distinct because we can tell a story in every mode, in every sense available. The Museum will surround people with an array of visual elements, sounds, smells and textures, so that the tactile experiences come to life. Another aspect that makes the Museum unique is its physical and permanent space. For instance, as soon as the pandemic grew consequential and people were asked to stay indoors, many museums pivoted to online platforms. There was a study carried out which showed that people were interested in visiting a museum online only for four days – it was a very brief peak, because the experience is not satisfying. Going to a museum is a social experience and one that surrounds an individual with people, art, incredible exhibitions. It is necessary to have a physical space, especially when an institution wants to communicate an optimistic possible future and allow people to really feel it.