Processual Trajectory of Place Attachment

This study examines how visitors’ spatial experiences are formed and how meaning is constructed within a colonial history exhibition at Museum Bank Indonesia (MuBI). Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach, data was collected from thirty-two visitors through in situ interviews and post-visit reflections. The findings reveal that visitor experience develops as a dynamic and relational process, structured through two intersecting pathways: interpretative and immersive. The interpretative pathway operates through narrative coherence and cognitive engagement with artifacts, while the immersive pathway emerges through atmospheric conditions, spatial simulation, and multisensory perception. Meaning-making occurs through the interaction of cognitive, affective, sensory, and orientational dimensions, forming layered experiential configurations rather than linear stages. The study reconceptualizes place attachment as an emergent and processual trajectory formed during spatial interaction. These findings highlight the role of exhibition space as an active mediator in enabling inclusive and meaningful visitor engagement.