Narrative Theories and Learning in Contemporary Art Museums: A Theoretical Exploration

Stories are an integral part of our experience as human beings. As Roland Barthes put forward, narrative “is present at all times, in all places, in all societies; indeed narrative starts with the very history of mankind; there is not, there has never been anywhere, any people without narratives; all classes, all human groups have their stories….”[1] Narrative theories (in literature, media studies, psychology, or neurology) have explored the impacts of narratives on our ways of being, thinking, dreaming, and remembering. This article will explore the implications of narrative theories for learning in a contemporary art museum context.