Museotherapy versus emotions

Museotherapy is a relatively new concept which nowadays determines the role of museums and their therapeutic impact on audience in its struggle with the civilizational condition. It is possible thanks to the collections, space and museum’s narration and psychologists, educationalists, and doctors’ experience.

Many years of research on museum’s influence on the society prove that there are many impact zones, including personal development, imagination, creativity, as well as health and well-being. The importance of museum’s activity in gaining new skills and experience, enhancing self-confidence and self- esteem, changing attitude, creative development, cultural consciousness, communication, and memory, as well as health improvement is visible. This concept is studied since 2018 through organizing periodic scientific conferences in the National Museum in Kielce. Their goal is to present various perceptions, observations and research conclusions concerning museotherapy aspects. Plenty of space has been devoted to the changes in cultural heritage institution’s activity. These modifications, using collection’s emotional potential, complement art’s role in therapeutic aims to affect changes and growth, fulfilling environmental needs to build social capital and integration. A lot of space has also been devoted to meditation as a practice which allows integration with everyday life, and museum is a perfect place to stop for a while. The purpose of this therapy has also been discussed pointing out the diagnosis of cognitive and developmental, emotional, and manual needs as well as research of the growth in socio-emotional, perceptual, and cognitive skills, abreaction of inner pressure, failures, frustrations, aggression, and creative development ability. 

During the upcoming conference, we would like to focus on the crucial element of the museotherapy process which are emotions that accompany us in the contacts with various museum objects. We want to present how museum collections and their narrative feature influence our perception and release emotions. The attempt to define, name and experience in the museum may become a therapeutic journey into own needs and self-understanding thanks to such museum objects as artifacts, historic souvenirs or works of art. 

National Museum in Kielce, October 18-19, 2021.

Dofinansowano ze środków Ministra Kultury, Dziedzictwa Narodowego i Sportu