How to Curate Exhibitions That Engage Emotionally and Intellectually

Now that we’ve covered the Curator’s Corner: Top 20 Tips for Curating Exhibitions, let’s look at exhibitions that connect with visitors’ emotions and intellect and why they are the holy grail of any curator. Balancing this is tricky. Exhibitions should inform and make you think, but memorable exhibitions should also move you on a personal level. Here are our top 10 tips for curating exhibitions that achieve this.

1. Know Your Audience’s Why

Before choosing artefacts or designing the exhibition layouts, you need to know who your audience is. This is key! What brings them to the exhibition? Are they here to learn? To be inspired or entertained? Your audience’s why will dictate your curatorial decisions. Some audiences are more interested in the intellectual side of the exhibition, others in the emotional resonance.

Gather data through feedback, analysis, surveys, or observation to better understand your audience. Ask yourself: What are they looking for? What exhibits do they linger at the longest? Tailor the exhibition to meet their expectations without sacrificing depth.

2. Have a Strong Narrative

Every exhibition should have a central theme or story that takes visitors from start to finish. Without one, exhibits can feel disconnected. Visitors will lose interest or not make connections between the objects on display.

Start by defining the exhibition’s key message. Is it about a historical event? A contemporary movement? A biography narrative? Once you have the theme, choose artefacts that support this story. Keep the narrative simple so visitors don’t get overwhelmed with too much information. The goal is to give context to the objects and help your audience connect emotionally and intellectually to them.

3. Curate Exhibitions With Intention

Object selection is key in most exhibitions. So choose with purpose. Your choices should support the theme and visitor engagement. Curate intentionally by selecting objects that make visitors think and feel something personal. Don’t overload the exhibition with too many objects. Focus on a few key pieces that represent the broader theme. Each object should have a reason to be there. Ask yourself: Does this item contribute to the overall story? Does it pique curiosity? Will it resonate with visitors?

When you show 100 beautiful books, visitors can feel like they’ve been hit by a magic wand—overwhelmed and lost in a sea of too much. But by focusing an exhibition on one Harry Potter book with a strong narrative, you can grab their attention and leave them feeling inspired. Sometimes less is more.

4. Use Space to Encourage Reflection

The physical space of an exhibition plays a big role in how visitors experience and interact with it. How they move through the space, how objects are placed, and how the exhibition is paced all impact their overall experience and engagement. A well-curated exhibition provides areas where visitors can pause and reflect.

Consider breaking the exhibition into sections that guide visitors through different story phases. Use spacing strategically—avoid crowding objects together or placing too much information in one area. This will help visitors focus on one idea at a time, making connecting with the content easier.

Take the Louvre as an example. Instead of cramming all the masterpieces into one overwhelming gallery, the museum breaks its exhibits into sections, like guiding visitors through the phases of a story. For instance, the Mona Lisa doesn’t share her spotlight with dozens of iconic works in one room. Instead, she’s given space to shine, with a path that builds anticipation. By the time visitors reach her, they’re focused, emotionally engaged, and ready to connect. It’s a bit like a perfectly timed plot twist—you’re drawn into the narrative, one masterpiece at a time.

5. Make Your Text Matter

As curators, we know how important text is in exhibitions. It sets the scene for visitors to engage with the content. Please keep it simple and accessible. Where possible avoid jargon so visitors can follow the story. Words evoke emotions. Think about how your text will resonate with visitors.

Take the Rosetta Stone exhibit. This amazing stele has a decree written in three languages: Egyptian hieroglyphs, Demotic script, and Ancient Greek. A short description tells you about its historical significance and how this museum treasure revealed the secrets of ancient Egyptian writing. So think about how your text will spark curiosity and visitor engagement.

6. Incorporate Interactivity

Interactive elements make exhibitions more engaging. Visitors can participate in small, meaningful ways. It doesn’t need to be high-tech. Encouraging people to share their thoughts or digital drawings adds a fun, personal touch. Imagine this. You visit an exhibit and leave a quick drawing. Weeks later, you return and see it displayed among others. You feel a connection to the space. Wouldn’t that make you remember it?

Create exhibitions that invite involvement. Small actions leave lasting impressions. It’s a simple, yet effective way to turn visitors into participants.

7. Balance Information and Emotion

Believe it or not, curators often struggle with finding the right balance between education and emotional engagement. Too much factual information can make an exhibition feel phlegmatic and lifeless. On the other hand, when you lean too heavily into emotional themes you might leave your visitors feeling uninformed.

AI-based exhibits offer a clear example. Take Pepper, the robot. Though it may seem robotic in nature, Pepper engages visitors by responding to their emotions and guiding them through exhibits in a more personal way. AI like Pepper adjusts to individual responses, creating narratives and visitor experiences that feel less mechanical and more interactive, while still delivering essential facts.

To strike the right balance, we suggest you curate exhibitions alternating between intellectual and emotional elements available throughout the exhibit. For example, you can use personal stories to humanise displays. At the same time, make sure the exhibit offers valuable insights audiences can take away. After all, who enjoys a curated exhibition where the interaction feels purely robotic with no human touch?

8. Offer Multiple Perspectives

Including multiple perspectives in an exhibition enriches it. Visitors will engage more with an exhibition that shows numerous perspectives. This can be done by including different cultural, historical, or personal views.

By showing how different people have experienced or interpreted the subject of your exhibition you create space for more emotional and intellectual connection. Visitors can see themselves in those perspectives, adding layers to their experience.

9. Design for Accessibility

Accessibility is often the forgotten part of exhibition design. To get visitors fully engaged, you must ensure everyone can participate. That means physical access for people with disabilities and intellectual access for a wider audience. Use plain language, subtitles for videos, and alternative formats for those who need them. An exhibition designed for accessibility is more inclusive. More people can connect with the content on an emotional and intellectual level.

10. Use Sensory Elements to Enhance the Experience

Sensory elements like lighting, sound, objects, and text can enhance the visitor experience. These elements can set an exhibition’s tone or highlight certain themes. For example, soft lighting can create a contemplative atmosphere, and soundscapes can bring historical moments to life.

Sensory elements should support your story and deepen the visitor’s engagement with the exhibition. Think about how these can illustrate key moments, evoke emotions or get visitors to think.