Thirteenth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

Authenticity in a museum context has for a long time been associated with the originality of physical artefacts. However, today museums also collect digital artefacts and debate how to exhibit intangible heritage. What is ‘authenticity’ in modern-day museums and how does it translate to museum interpretative practices? Revisiting the notion of authenticity to understand how it applies to museum interpretative practices, beyond just physical collections, is essential to assure museums stay relevant to diverse groups of audiences whose interests range from seeing the original artworks to experiencing the museum atmosphere. This paper focuses on the findings from the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice and the Heide Museum of Modern Art in Melbourne, which started as private collections. It demonstrates a pluralistic approach to authenticity that concerns museum identity. Qualitative analysis of curator interviews and visitor surveys at the museums indicated how the curatorial teams work with interpretation of the museum history and collection on three levels: the story of the founders, conversion of their private home into a public museum, and exhibition programming in line with legacies of the founders.