Plural exhibition experiences: Co-designing multisensory storytelling with an Indigenous Sámi museum
Abstract
This article examines an Indigenous-led exhibition renewal at the Sámi Museum Siida, in which multisensory design and digital media were collaboratively developed with Sámi artists and museum experts. The exhibition was created primarily for the Sámi community, in a museum that also receives many international visitors. The study is based on a survey (n=35) and three focus groups (n=9) with participants representing diverse visitor perspectives to understand how people experienced and interpreted the exhibition’s sensory and technological elements. The results demonstrate that the exhibition created a sense of immersion through spatial and multisensory design grounded in local artistic and cultural practices. The analysis explores how collaboration among designers, artists, and museum professionals can support inclusive and culturally grounded approaches to digital transformation in heritage contexts. The findings offer insights for future museum practices that incorporate digital and sensory design through collaboration with Indigenous communities.
Keywords
museum, co-design, indigenous storytelling, cultural heritage
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2844
Citation
Paananen, S., Kirjavainen, E., Etto, J., Nylander, E., and Häkkilä, J. (2026) Plural exhibition experiences: Co-designing multisensory storytelling with an Indigenous Sámi museum, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2844
Creative Commons License
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Plural exhibition experiences: Co-designing multisensory storytelling with an Indigenous Sámi museum
This article examines an Indigenous-led exhibition renewal at the Sámi Museum Siida, in which multisensory design and digital media were collaboratively developed with Sámi artists and museum experts. The exhibition was created primarily for the Sámi community, in a museum that also receives many international visitors. The study is based on a survey (n=35) and three focus groups (n=9) with participants representing diverse visitor perspectives to understand how people experienced and interpreted the exhibition’s sensory and technological elements. The results demonstrate that the exhibition created a sense of immersion through spatial and multisensory design grounded in local artistic and cultural practices. The analysis explores how collaboration among designers, artists, and museum professionals can support inclusive and culturally grounded approaches to digital transformation in heritage contexts. The findings offer insights for future museum practices that incorporate digital and sensory design through collaboration with Indigenous communities.