Viewpoint - Are hybrids best?

Anthony Wilson

Roland Jackson aims to provoke with his assertion that the way ahead for interactivity lies in the sort of mixed-mode exhibition exemplified by the Science Museum’s ‘Challenge of Materials’ gallery (‘Viewpoint’, Winter 1997 Newsletter). I will rise to his bait.

He claims that “the future lies in the fruitful hybridisation of traditional museum approaches and of the now traditional ‘interactive centres’” - by which he means places that specialise entirely in mechanical or electromechanical interactives. What he says may well be true in a literal sense, for the immediate future does seem to be dominated by Millennial ‘Megaprojects’ where I suspect the mixed-mode approach will be much in evidence. But the implication is that mixed-mode exhibitions are in some way better than single-mode ones. On what criteria is this judgement based, Dr Jackson, and where is the evidence to support it?

One might equally assert - and I do - that the galleries at the Science Museum that work best are not the mixed-mode ones, but the ones that concentrate on a single method of presentation, such as ‘Glimpses of Medical History’ (models and reconstructions), ‘Science in the 18th century’ (objects as art) and Launch Pad (purely interactive). But I freely admit that this is no more than a personal opinion; these are the sorts of gallery I happen to like best.

Mixed-mode exhibitions are said to ‘possess the vigour of the hybrids’. Less flattering genetic metaphors might portray them as mongrels or crossbreeds. If a camel is a horse designed by a committee, then in supporting the ‘Challenge of Materials’ approach Dr Jackson seems to be putting his money on a camel rather than a thoroughbred.

One final barb: wasn’t it the Natural History Museum that pioneered the mixed-mode approach in Britain, starting with its Human Biology exhibition way back in the ‘70s? Time for the Science Museum to do a small exhibit on ‘reinventing the wheel’ perhaps?
Anthony Wilson works at Herstmonceux Science Centre, this viewpoint is a personal view.

Newsletter Spring 1998 Contents

Centres > Satrosphere News | What is happening to Light on Science? | Inspire News | Herstmonceux News

Exhibits > BIG working group on exhibit development | What is Design? | Exhibit Aphorisms | "Here's Looking at Euclid" - exhibit idea | Roald Dahl and the Children's Gallery | Are hybrids best? - viewpoint

Demonstrations and shows > Shows at the Exploratory | Exploding Can Demonstration | Water to wine Demonstration | Nitrogen story - urban myth?

Millennium News > More Millennium Grants | Pantechniques rewarded | Millennium awards scheme | A listing of interactive projects funded by lottery grants

Research > Measuring the performance of interactive centres

Resources and conferences > Conferences and Future Events | Indian Science Congress Report | Managing Science Centres Book Review | Children's Museums Book information

BIG > BIG Moves - From the Chair | BIG AGM Report | BIG Annual Report 1997