A systematic review of digital transformation technologies in museum exhibition

Abstract

Museum exhibitions, both temporary and permanent, form an essential link between a society and its cultural, historical, and artistic heritage sites. Curating artifacts and thematic displays in museum exhibitions can promote dialogue, foster cultural appreciation, and contribute to heritage preservation. The traditional way of holding museum exhibitions, heavily reliant on the expertise of designers and curatorial staff, makes them a labor-intensive process, from conceptualization to visitor engagement analysis. This review systematically compiles and examines how the application of digital transformation technologies (DTTs) has revolutionized museum exhibitions and augmented their future potential. DTTs such as artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, additive manufacturing, the Internet of Things, and cloud computing can help create engaging designs, improve accessibility and inclusivity, enhance educational potential, and allow for sophisticated visitor experience data collection and analyses, improving exhibit management. However, despite multiple specialized studies on DTTs and their roles in museum exhibitions, the connections between technology and application scenarios remain underexplored. By addressing this gap, this study is expected to inform and inspire practitioners in the museum and heritage sectors and present new research avenues for scholars.