When Art Becomes the Voice of a City

This study investigated the museum setting of an art exhibition where a multimedia experience tells the story of Bodø—as both a city of civilian life and a military base as well as a site for developing North Atlanic Treaty Organization’s (NATO’s) Center for Air Operations. Bodø Bymuseum (the Bodø City Museum), part of Nordlandsmuseet, collaborated with British artist Dan Mariner to develop the exhibition, which explores the theme of Bodø as a multidimensional space. The exhibition builds on the experience of the museum to expand historical narration into a multisensory experience, which can also be observed in the “dry aquarium” installation. Developed using an arts-based methodology, this research highlights the museum’s innovative approach to using art as a means of enabling local and international audiences to engage with the city’s historical narrative. The application of such methodology was motivated by the concept of creative development, be it the collaborative staging of the exhibition or the incorporation of sound into the installation. The findings offer recommendations for museum managers and curators interested in exploring the intersections of art, history, and interactivity in museum contexts. Although the research was built around cases from one museum and was a preliminary study suggesting the further expansion of the theme, the results can be applied to the broader context of history and ethnographic museums.