Looking to Read: How Visitors Use Exhibit Labels in the Art Museum

Abstract “Do they read? Oh, yes, they do,” was the conclusion of a paper identifying the proof of label use in visitors’ in-gallery conversations versus the difficulties of observing them reading. This paper methodologically refines this research question by asking how exactly exhibit labels are used. Answers are derived from an empirical study that analyzed viewing behavior both before and after the reinstallation of a museum’s collection through mobile eye tracking (MET), subjective mapping, and questionnaires. As the introduction of interpretive labels was one of the major changes implemented, the paper demonstrates differences in visitors’ responses to the artworks with or without contextual information. Analytical emphasis rests on the exploration of patterns in the process of decision making (differentiating between visitors’ reading affinities); visual engagement (analyzing the combined activities of looking and reading); and memory (echoing label texts in visitors’ artwork reflections). Our findings show that all visitors read, albeit to very different extents, the majority being medium-affinity readers; that the basic viewing pattern “art-label-art” becomes more complex with more text and more visitors on-site; and that art interpretations deepen and differ through additional information. The power of labels to guide eyes and thoughts suggests their intentional use in museum and curatorial practice.