The relationship of screen material with visitor behavior in exhibition spaces

Abstract

The screen, with its diverse forms and materials, has been a part of the exhibition space as art practice as well as an integral part of human beings' lives. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the screen materials on space formation through observing different screen materials and explore the relationship between the materials of screens and visitor, by addressing visitor behavior that is divided as attention and interaction in exhibition spaces. Previous studies were mostly elaborated in the field of media and art, and few research was found in the architecture field. Therefore, this study seeks to present a comprehensive approach by gathering media, art, and architecture perspectives together in the visitor studies in the context of exhibition spaces. An exhibition experiment was designed, and different instruments were used in the assessment of the participants’ behavior, experience, and feelings. A total of 32 participants were selected based on defined demographic parameters. The findings of this study presented that, the profession item showed a significant correlation with the screen preferences and screen materials have an impact on the architectural layout from visitors’ perspective in terms of its physical form and its influence on the layout. Lastly, screen materials have a significant impact on the amount of attention paid as well as on the number of visitor interactions with exhibit objects in exhibition spaces.