Museum as Lab, with Ann Neumann (Podcast)
What if a museum were more like a laboratory?
What if our exhibits were experiments? What if our galleries were more about questions, rather than answers? What if we didn’t fear failure as much? What if scientists, artists, and technologists all created exhibitions together? What happens when you edit an exhibit about editing DNA? Should every project have a post-opening contingency — in addition to the normal kind?
Ann Neumann (Director of Galleries and Exhibitions, MIT Museum) discusses “Museum as Lab” with host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio).
Along the way: circadian rhythms, robots, maritime paintings, and a huge spiderweb you can play like a musical instrument.
Talking Points:
1. The MIT Museum
2. Scientists, Artists, and Technologists
3. Editing the Genetics Gallery
4. Spiderweb Concert
5. Circadian Biology: Lighten Up
6. Moving 1,500,000 Objects
How to Listen:
Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G
Listen at Making the Museum, the Website:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast
Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor:
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bio:
Ann Neumann, Director of Galleries and Exhibitions at the MIT Museum, leads conceptual planning of museum exhibitions presenting MIT’s research, collections, and innovation in science, art, design, and technology in the heart of the biotech corridor. Her focus is on the museum as an experimental test bed for ideas, conversations, and experiences that reflect the critical issues of culture and society. She’s the recipient of numerous awards for her work and was named a Blooloop Museum Influencer in 2024. Her experience developing museums and science centers in the US and internationally reflects a commitment to expanding the human experience and science understanding through interdisciplinary collaborations, visual communication, and the built environment.
About Making the Museum:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio.
Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners:
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/
Links for This Episode:
Ann by Email:
neumanna@mit.edu
Ann on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-neumann
MIT Museum:
https://mitmuseum.mit.edu
Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast:
Contact Making the Museum:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
Email Jonathan Alger:
alger@cgpartnersllc.com
C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio:
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/
Making the Museum, the Newsletter:
Liked the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.)
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