Værktøjskasse til atmosfæriske kunstrum. Atmosfære-fænomenets potentiale i ny udstillingspraksis

This paper argues that intense atmospheres hold potentials in the art exhibition space, even though implementation at art museums seems challenging in different ways. Therefore, the paper aims at contributing to an operative analytical terminology and exhibit cases useful for art exhibition practices that want to focus on atmospheric experiences. To showcase how atmospheres are formed and affect us, this paper uses theory mainly founded in phenomenology and explores the relationship between atmosphere, exhibition spaces of the past, and phenomena as aura, affect, and presence effects. These are considered elements in a “toolbox”, arguing that multisensory elements, engaging the visitor as co-creator, and focusing on the exhibition as a unit instead of a space for individual objects can be effective when working with atmospheric exhibitions. The results of the examinations of this paper also points to the potentials of welcoming dissolutions, uncanny disturbances, metonymies, anecdotes, non-logical gut-feeling and a baroque visual mode of expression in order to highlight the elements that are effective in the art museum