From Altar to App: Displaying Devotion in the Contemporary Museum

Abstract

Abstract Traditional museum displays of devotional objects tend to emphasize their status as decontextualized artworks. These displays customarily lack the richer experience of embodiment and the more complex affective responses that are accessible, by contrast, to those visiting historical sites with devotional artefacts in situ. Some museums have nonetheless attempted to counter these limitations by developing exhibition strategies that are more immersive and emotionally engaging. This article examines the recent trend to provide a deeper sense of devotional context, with a particular emphasis on the church of Sant’Agostino, Rome; the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Ar..