ICOM Voices A Mighty Key to Sustainability: Planning Before Incorporating Digital Installations in Museums

Keywords: sustainability, digital technology, digital installation, museum planning, museum budget

Sustainability and the use of digital technology in museums are two issues currently gaining ample attention within the museum landscape. Planet earth is facing a climate emergency, and museums are expected to contribute to environmental sustainability and protection. Although the use of digital technology in museums began around 60 years ago, many museums are still discussing the best way to incorporate digital technologies into their exhibition spaces, with the assumption that they may attract younger generations – digital natives. Using digital technology in museums can also bring potential benefits, such as facilitating multi-sensory and interactive experiences for visitors and enriching narratives.

As a PhD student, my research project was initially situated at the intersection of these two topics (technology and sustainability), particularly looking at how museums communicate the issue of climate emergency to the public through digital technologies. However, when l visited several museums in Indonesia – my home country, where I am collecting data for my research – I found that many of the digital installations in museums are broken or malfunctioning, even though some were only installed a couple of years ago. Various issues can make digital installations prone to breaking, such as machine overheating, limitations in terms of software and hardware specification, and the lack of control over how visitors use them. The broken material is often just left in the museums because many museums in Indonesia do not have any allocated budget and/or resources to fix them.

This reality hit me hard. Incorporating digital technologies in museums has a considerable environmental cost, and when the installations only work for one or two years, the digital carbon footprint is difficult to justify. How can museums educate the public about sustainability and climate protection when their own work is not sustainable?

It is important for museums to plan meticulously before deciding to incorporate digital installations in their galleries. This planning should include at least three considerations: the purpose, the operational procedure, and the budget.

First and foremost, museums must consider their purpose and whether installing digital technology will serve that purpose – or whether any other medium might be a better way to achieve it. What do museums want visitors to learn? What kind of messages do museums wish to communicate to their visitors? Museums need to remember that digital technology is a tool and a facilitator, not an end in itself. Thus, the purpose should not be to use digital technology whatever it is and whatever the content is.

Second, museums need to consider the operational procedure to minimise the risk of people misusing digital tools. Will the digital installations be operated by museum staff or visitors? If visitors will use the installations, how should the instructions be given to ensure everyone can easily understand them?

Last, museums have to plan and allocate resources, not only for procurement of digital tools but also for their long-term maintenance, to ensure that the installations last longer, thus limiting the carbon footprint from purchasing new installations within a short timeframe.

Careful planning is a mighty key to ensuring that the incorporation of digital technology in museums is not only successful but also sustainable in the long run.