Leiden University Student Repository

Harijgens, Alannah (2026)

Shifting Museum Concepts: The Curatorial Shift in Contemporary Museums from White-Walled Galleries to Experientially Rich, Multi-Sensorial Environments.

Master thesis | Arts and Culture (MA)

From Introduction: This thesis is concerned with the movement away from white-walled galleries toward more complex, sensorial, and socially embedded curatorial environments. Chapter One traces the emergence of the white-walled gallery and the white cube, starting with earlier models of display. Chapter Two analyses the Centraal Museum Utrecht as a case study of institutional transformation and shows how the museum can serve as an example of how to reconfigure white-walled curatorial frameworks. Chapter Three examines the critiques that destabilised the white cube, focusing on its sterility, alienation, and ideological invisibility. By foregrounding the sensorial and participatory turn, this thesis highlights how institutions are redefining themselves in response to contemporary pressures and it acknowledges that while the white wall remains entrenched, the museum field is now defined by its negotiation with and departures from this model.

Curating

White-Walled Gallery

White Cube

Centraal Museum Utrecht

Contemporary Museum

Multi-Sensorial Museum

Author

Harijgens, Alannah

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Museums and Collections

Supervisors

Crucq, A.K.C.
Noach, S.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en