Games in the Agora Presentation for the seminar, “Museology, museography and new means of addressing the public,” Centre Pompidou (IRI), Paris, 11 February 2009 Nancy Proctor, Smithsonian American Art Museum [email_address] .edu What’s at stake in the 21st century museum

The Smithsonian Institution: for the Increase & Diffusion of Knowledge 19 Museums 156 Affiliate museums 9 Research centers 136+ million objects And 1 Zoo More than 32 million visitors on site & 189 million on-line each year

19 Museums

156 Affiliate museums

9 Research centers

136+ million objects

And 1 Zoo

SI 2.0 What is the Museum in this Web 2.0 world of information on demand? Smithsonian20.si.edu Whatever Wherever Whenever

Whatever

Wherever

Whenever

The American Art Museum

The Museums… The Smithsonian American Art Museum & its Renwick Gallery

The Museum has become a Distributed Network

Photo by Mike Lee, 2007; from SAAM Flickr Group Our audiences now access American Art through a wide range of platforms beyond the museum’s walls and website

The Museum is transforming from Acropolis…

… into Agora

The Stakes of the Game

Ghosts of a Chance: A Game in the Museum Agora

What is an ARG? Alternate Reality Game A kind of ‘scavenger hunt’ for the 21st century Played across both ‘real world’ and digital spaces, including web, phone & text message Involves collaboration among large and disparate communities to ‘solve’ the game Unfolds through stories that change and are developed dialectically by the game’s designers in response to the players

Alternate Reality Game

A kind of ‘scavenger hunt’ for the 21st century

Played across both ‘real world’ and digital spaces, including web, phone & text message

Involves collaboration among large and disparate communities to ‘solve’ the game

Unfolds through stories that change and are developed dialectically by the game’s designers in response to the players

Ghosts of a Chance is: 1. The mystery of the haunting of two Luce Center ‘curators’, Daisy and Daniel

1. The mystery of the haunting of two Luce Center ‘curators’, Daisy and Daniel

Ghosts of a Chance is: 2. The story-within-a-story of four, 19th century characters who are haunting the American Art Museum

2. The story-within-a-story of four, 19th century characters who are haunting the American Art Museum

Ghosts of a Chance is: 3. A hunt for clues to the identity of the ghosts

3. A hunt for clues to the identity of the ghosts

Ghosts of a Chance is: 4. A one-day exhibition in the Luce Center of objects related to the story, made by players in response to four ‘challenges’

4. A one-day exhibition in the Luce Center of objects related to the story, made by players in response to four ‘challenges’

Ghosts of a Chance is: 5. A series of events and tours of sites where the game’s story unfolds An ARG festival The Natural History Museum The National Cemetery The American Art Museum

5. A series of events and tours of sites where the game’s story unfolds

An ARG festival

The Natural History Museum

The National Cemetery

The American Art Museum

Ghosts of a Chance is: 6. Six scavenger hunts at SAAM on October 25, 2008

6. Six scavenger hunts at SAAM

on October 25, 2008

Where GOAC was played: In the ‘Real World’ An ARG fest for ‘hard-core’ players in Boston The basement and forensic labs of the Natural History Museum The Congressional Cemetery In the American Art Museum, including the Luce Center and GOAC exhibition Over 250 players at the Museum on October 25, 2008.

In the ‘Real World’

An ARG fest for ‘hard-core’ players in Boston

The basement and forensic labs of the Natural History Museum

The Congressional Cemetery

In the American Art Museum, including the Luce Center and GOAC exhibition

Over 250 players at the Museum on October 25, 2008.

Where GOAC was played: Online The GOAC website: GhostsofaChance .com The Argers’ forum (a blog): http://forums. unfiction . com/forums/viewtopic . php ? t=26261 The SAAM website: AmericanArt.si.edu SAAM’s blog: Eyelevel.si.edu Facebook Smithsonian Magazine website: www. smithsonianmag .com/arts-culture/atm-game-200810.html More than 6000 players participated online over 2 months.

Online

The GOAC website: GhostsofaChance .com

The Argers’ forum (a blog): http://forums. unfiction . com/forums/viewtopic . php ? t=26261

The SAAM website: AmericanArt.si.edu

SAAM’s blog: Eyelevel.si.edu

Facebook

Smithsonian Magazine website: www. smithsonianmag .com/arts-culture/atm-game-200810.html

More than 6000 players participated online over 2 months.

Clues by text message

A clue from a mystery caller

A clue seen through a window

An Art Demonstrator?

A chef in the galleries?

Let them eat cake!

And dance!

Getting Creative

Everyone’s a winner!

Player Feedback I just first want to emphasize how fun Ghosts of a Chance was. My husband and I had a really fun time doing it. … We also like the integration of text messaging and cell phones -- both of those things made it more than just a 'regular' scavenger hunt. I think it did make me look at art museums, in particular SAAM, in a different way. We certainly spent more time in the museum than we would have otherwise… Even though we were 'exposed' to the whole museum, I also liked that there were a couple of pieces of art that we actually had to sit and ponder… I never would have spent the time staring into the painting and trying to understand it if it weren't part of a task. I think it would be great to turn this into a shorter, user-centered, on-demand version. In fact, I think something like this would be a LOT more fun than some of the passive audio tours that you get in a lot of museums, and would allow for more user-generated content.

I just first want to emphasize how fun Ghosts of a Chance was. My husband and I had a really fun time doing it.

… We also like the integration of text messaging and cell phones -- both of those things made it more than just a 'regular' scavenger hunt.

I think it did make me look at art museums, in particular SAAM, in a different way. We certainly spent more time in the museum than we would have otherwise…

Even though we were 'exposed' to the whole museum, I also liked that there were a couple of pieces of art that we actually had to sit and ponder… I never would have spent the time staring into the painting and trying to understand it if it weren't part of a task.

I think it would be great to turn this into a shorter, user-centered, on-demand version. In fact, I think something like this would be a LOT more fun than some of the passive audio tours that you get in a lot of museums, and would allow for more user-generated content.

Player Feedback My 8 year old (3rd grade) daughter and I had a FANTASTIC time, and … she wants to bring her friends with her next time. We definitely went to parts of the museum that we would not have gone to previously. It definitely made art more interactive. I LOVED INTERACTING WITH THE MUSEUM & OBJECTS INSTEAD OF JUST LOOKING AT THINGS AND OBSERVING AND JUDGING - IT WAS TONS OF FUN TO FEEL A PART OF IT ALL! … ALSO MADE IT FEEL LESS PRECIOUS … ALL FELT A LITTLE MORE PERSONALLY CONNECTED … I liked the game because normally at art museums I get bored after a while but this gave me something to do. I would definitely do it again or recommend it to someone else. I have spent quite some time in art museums and this is probably the first time that it felt like the museum was meant to be fun and interactive rather than more somber and pensive. It was really refreshing and definitely gave me a sense of community with the people who were coordinating the event and the other people participating in it.

My 8 year old (3rd grade) daughter and I had a FANTASTIC time, and … she wants to bring her friends with her next time.

We definitely went to parts of the museum that we would not have gone to previously. It definitely made art more interactive.

I LOVED INTERACTING WITH THE MUSEUM & OBJECTS INSTEAD OF JUST LOOKING AT THINGS AND OBSERVING AND JUDGING - IT WAS TONS OF FUN TO FEEL A PART OF IT ALL! … ALSO MADE IT FEEL LESS PRECIOUS … ALL FELT A LITTLE MORE PERSONALLY CONNECTED …

I liked the game because normally at art museums I get bored after a while but this gave me something to do. I would definitely do it again or recommend it to someone else.

I have spent quite some time in art museums and this is probably the first time that it felt like the museum was meant to be fun and interactive rather than more somber and pensive. It was really refreshing and definitely gave me a sense of community with the people who were coordinating the event and the other people participating in it.

Nancy Proctor, [email_address] . edu 9 December 2008 What’s at stake in the Museum as Agora

Nancy Proctor, ProctorN@si.edu FIAMP 16 October 2008 Fraunhofer Institute, Kunstmuseum Bonn: ‘Beat Zoderer’ exhibition (Listen project) 2003 Fraunhofer Institute, Kunstmuseum Bonn: ‘Beat Zoderer’ exhibition (Listen project) 2003 It’s NOT about the Technology

Interpretation is as essential to the Museum as cutlery is to a banquet Beth Lipman, Bancketje (Banquet) 2003

Some visitors may bring their own, Some may eat only the finger food, Some may choose another restaurant, Many will go away hungry, feeling uninvited and unwelcome . If the Museum doesn’t provide it:

Some visitors may bring their own,

Some may eat only the finger food,

Some may choose another restaurant,

Many will go away hungry,

feeling uninvited and unwelcome .

Learning through Socratic Dialogue SmartHistory.org

SmartHistory.org

“Meet them where they are, & take them someplace new.” Michael Edson, Director of Web & New Media Strategy, Smithsonian Institution & ‘The Museum Shuffle’ in EyeLevel.si.edu April 4, 2008 Blog post by Howard Kaplan, “ Merce C” By Franz Klein

Michael Edson, Director of Web & New Media Strategy, Smithsonian Institution

& ‘The Museum Shuffle’

in

EyeLevel.si.edu

April 4, 2008

Blog post by

Howard Kaplan,

“ Merce C”

By Franz Klein

Happiness Nancy Proctor, [email_address] . edu 9 December 2008

Happiness Nancy Proctor, [email_address] . edu 9 December 2008 1. Satisfying work to do 2. The experience of being good at something 3. Time spent with people we like 4. The chance to be a part of something bigger – JANE M C GONIGAL, PhD Institute for the Future Hosted by the AAM Center for the Future of Museums, December 2, 2008, at the Newseum, Washington, DC http://www.slideshare.net/avantgame/gaming-the-future-of-museums-a-lecture-by-jane-mcgonigal-presentation?nocache=4592

The Stakes of the Museum Game of the Future Nancy Proctor, [email_address] . edu 9 December 2008 NOT Technology Interpretation & Storytelling Dialogue & Community Relevance & integration into our audience’s lives Happiness

NOT Technology

Interpretation & Storytelling

Dialogue & Community

Relevance & integration into our audience’s lives

Happiness