The exhibition text: The art of not losing your visitor in 100 words

01When the visitor becomes an unwilling reader

Imagine this: you step into a gallery at the Centre Pompidou, your eyes still dazzled by the street’s neon lights. Before you, a monumental canvas by Pierre Soulages. Beside it, a 150-word label in 12-point font. You squint, trying to decipher the first lines. "This 1986 work employs a technique of...," the text begins. You glance at your watch. 5:30 p.m. You’ve already spent 45 minutes in the museum. Your attention is a scarce commodity.

This scene plays out for thousands of visitors every day. Yet museums persist in treating text as a secondary element. "People come to see the works, not to read," you often hear in institutional corridors. A misconception that ignores a harsh reality: without text, 70% of visitors don’t understand what they’re looking at. Worse, 40% leave with a false idea of the work or the artist.

The problem isn’t lack of interest. Studies conducted by the Louvre in 2022 show that visitors spend an average of 28 seconds in front of a work... but 42 seconds in front of its label when it’s well designed. Text isn’t an obstacle: it’s a bridge. Or a wall, depending on how it’s written.

02The curse of knowledge: when the expert forgets the novice

In 2019, the Fondation Louis Vuitton presented a retrospective of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The texts, written by specialists, brimmed with references to hip-hop culture, 1980s New York graffiti, and the history of African art. Fascinating information... for those who already knew the subject. For others, it was like listening to a conversation in a foreign language.

This phenomenon has a name: the curse of knowledge. A cognitive bias that leads experts to overestimate what their audience already knows. In the museum world, this curse takes several forms:

Technical jargon: "This canvas uses a glazing technique that allows layers of paint to be superimposed without altering transparency.", Obscure references: "As in his previous works, the artist draws inspiration here from the CoBrA movement, though this painting dates from 1992, forty years after the group’s dissolution." et Cultural assumptions: "This sculpture adopts Dogon art codes while integrating contemporary elements.".

The result? Visitors who nod politely but leave without having learned anything. Or worse, who feel excluded, as if art weren’t for them.

Yet solutions exist. The Musée de l’Homme, in its 2020 exhibition "All Humans," chose a radical approach: texts in FALC (Easy to Read and Understand), a method developed for people with intellectual disabilities. The surprising result: these texts, designed to be understood by all, were praised by 90% of visitors, including those with no comprehension difficulties.

03The 30-second rule: how to capture the attention of a hurried visitor

In 2021, FRAC Île-de-France conducted a bold experiment. For three months, the institution replaced all its labels with ultra-short versions: 50 words maximum. The results were striking:

Time spent in front of works increased by 35%, The number of visitors who read the texts rose from 42% to 89% et Negative comments about text complexity disappeared.

This experiment illustrates a fundamental truth: in a museum, attention is a scarce resource. Visitors don’t read for pleasure, but out of necessity. They want to understand, but they don’t want to spend hours doing it.

The 30-second rule, developed by American museologist John Falk, has become a standard in museums. It states that:

A visitor spends an average of 30 seconds in front of a work, They will only read a text if they can grasp its meaning in 10 seconds et They will remember a maximum of 3 pieces of information.

To respect this rule, museums have developed several techniques:

The inverted pyramid: like in journalism, the most important information comes first. "This painting was created during the First World War. It shows the horrors of the trenches. The artist, himself a soldier, lost an arm in combat.", Open-ended questions: rather than stating facts, the text invites reflection. "Why did Picasso paint this woman with asymmetrical eyes? What was he trying to tell us?" et Micro-stories: an anecdote, a personal story, a detail that brings the work to life. "This sculpture was commissioned by Louis XIV. But when the king saw it, he was horrified: the statue’s face looked too much like his own.".

The Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris took the experiment further in 2023 with its exhibition "The 1980s." The labels provided only three pieces of information: the artist’s name, the work’s title, and a question. "Why is this canvas covered in graffiti?" "What’s hiding in this apparently abstract painting?" Visitors were then invited to scan a QR code to discover the answer... if they wished.

04The trap of "too simple": when simplification becomes betrayal

In 2011, the Musée d’Orsay presented an exhibition titled "Masters of Impressionism." The intentionally simplified texts sparked controversy in the art world. "Specialists accuse us of ‘dumbing down’ the content," explained the museum’s director at the time. "But visitors thank us."

This debate highlights a fundamental dilemma: how far can you simplify without betraying the work? How do you make art accessible without falling into simplism?

The risk is real. In 2018, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was criticized for rewriting its texts in "more accessible" language. The problem? Some complex works, like those by Mark Rothko, were reduced to simplistic explanations. "This canvas uses bright colors to express emotions," one could read. A description that, for specialists, was a true betrayal.

To avoid this trap, museums have developed several strategies:

Layered information: a short text for the general public, supplemented by more detailed information accessible via QR code or app, Reading levels: a single text can contain multiple levels of information, identifiable by icons or colors et Open interpretation: rather than providing one explanation, the text offers several possibilities. "For some, this canvas represents urban loneliness. For others, it evokes freedom. What do you see?".

The Centre Pompidou-Metz adopted an original approach in 2022 with its exhibition "Art and the Machine." The labels provided basic information followed by an open question. "This sculpture was created by a robot. But can we still call it art?" Visitors were then invited to participate in an online debate via a dedicated app.

05The era of interactive text: when the visitor becomes co-author

In 2024, the Palais de Tokyo presented a revolutionary exhibition: "Art That Resembles You." The texts weren’t fixed but evolved based on visitor reactions. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the labels adapted in real time:

If a visitor spent more time in front of a work, the text became more detailed, If several visitors asked the same question via the museum’s app, an answer was added to the label et If a work provoked strong emotional reactions, the text offered deeper interpretation paths.

This approach marks a break with museum tradition. For centuries, exhibition text was considered an absolute truth, written by experts for a passive audience. Today, museums are exploring new forms of mediation where the visitor is no longer just a receiver but a full participant.

Several institutions have followed suit:

The Tate Modern in London launched a 2023 project called "Your Voice Matters." Visitors can record their reactions to works and then listen to others’ responses, The Musée des Confluences in Lyon created "participatory labels" in 2024 where visitors can add their own interpretations via digital post-its et The Louvre Abu Dhabi developed an app in 2023 that lets visitors create their own thematic tours with personalized texts.

These innovations raise ethical questions. How far can personalization go? Should texts be adapted based on age, culture, or even visitors’ political opinions? And how do you maintain scientific rigor when information becomes increasingly subjective?

06Design at the service of text: when form becomes content

In 2020, Galerie Perrotin presented an exhibition by Gabriel Orozco. The labels, designed as works of art in their own right, used minimalist typography, soft colors, and spacious layouts. The result? Visitors read the texts with the same attention they gave to the works.

This experiment reveals an often-forgotten truth: exhibition text isn’t just about content but also about form. How a text is presented can make the difference between an ignored label and one that’s read.

Several design principles have proven effective:

The 50-character rule: a line of text shouldn’t exceed 50 characters to remain readable, Spacing: airy text with generous line spacing is read 30% more easily than compact text et Visual hierarchy: titles should be immediately identifiable, secondary information less prominent. Contrast: black text on a white background is read 50% faster than gray text on gray.

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris took the experiment further in 2023 with its exhibition "Design and Accessibility." The labels used a font specially designed for dyslexic readers, contrasting colors for color-blind visitors, and pictograms for non-French speakers.

But design isn’t just about readability. It can also guide attention, create emotions, or even tell a story. In 2022, FRAC Bretagne presented an exhibition where texts were integrated into the works themselves. A Gerhard Richter canvas was accompanied by a label that reproduced the texture of the paint. A Louise Bourgeois sculpture was commented on by a handwritten text, like a personal letter.

07The future of exhibition text: toward customized mediation

In 2025, the Musée de l’Orangerie will present an immersive exhibition on Claude Monet. Visitors will wear connected glasses that display texts adapted to their profile:

For an 8-year-old child: "Look how the colors blend! Monet painted this canvas as if he were in the water.", For an art history student: "This series of water lilies marks a turning point in Monet’s career. After 1914, his style became more abstract, influenced by the traumas of war." et For a non-French-speaking visitor: "This painting was created between 1914 and 1918. Monet used a technique called ‘en plein air’ to capture the changing light.".

This still-experimental approach could well become the norm in the coming years. Thanks to artificial intelligence, behavioral data, and augmented reality technologies, museums could offer entirely personalized mediation experiences.

Several challenges remain, however:

Data protection: how to reconcile personalization with privacy?, Content quality: how to prevent AI from generating approximate or biased texts? et Equity: how to ensure all visitors, including those who don’t use digital technologies, have access to quality information?.

One thing is certain: exhibition text hasn’t finished evolving. After being a tool for transmitting knowledge, then a vector of accessibility, it could well become a space for dialogue, where each visitor finds their place.

08The art of not losing your visitor

Writing a good exhibition text is like composing a symphony. Every word counts. Every silence too. You must know how to capture attention, guide the gaze, awaken curiosity. But above all, you must remember that behind each label is a visitor. A hurried, distracted, sometimes tired visitor. A visitor who only wants to understand, to feel, to marvel.

The secret? Never forget that text isn’t an end in itself, but a means. A means of creating a link between the work and the visitor. A means of transforming a visit into an experience. A means, ultimately, of ensuring that art isn’t just seen, but also understood, shared, loved.

So the next time you enter a museum, take the time to read the labels. Not just for what they say, but for what they reveal: the story of a dialogue between art and those who contemplate it. A dialogue that, for centuries, has never stopped reinventing itself.