Voices in the museum: Exploring soundscapes in curatorial practices

The semiotics of curating is a theoretical approach that focuses on constructing, communicating, and interpreting signs, symbols, and meanings in museum exhibitions. With the increasing prevalence of digital technologies, curators are tasked with balancing different technologies, encompassing visual, sound, and multimodal experiences. In this perspective, the paper examines the role of sound as a semiotic dimension within exhibition contexts, analyzing how it functions as a potent signifier and enriching the interpretation of curated spaces with exhibited artefacts. This study explores the semiotic dimensions of soundscapes by analyzing examples from an exhibition at GAM Turin, Italy, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, USA, and the work of Nicholas Party at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Canada. It will study how sonic elements such as music, language, and ambient noises intersect with cultural contexts to create layered, polyphonic interpretations of exhibited artefacts. I will finally discuss the potential of sound as a powerful medium for conveying meaning, evoking affective responses, and immersive engagement of the public.