Too often during the last couple of years, when I believe I’ve come up with something new and creative with respect to museums, it turns out that Nina Simon has already been there. I feel like professor Otto Lidenbrock in Jules Verne’s A Journey to the Centre of the Earth: “Arne Saknussemm, always Arne Saknussemm!”.

Take for example the idea of ‘the slow museum’. A good idea that came to me last night. About exhibits that don’t address all five senses simultaneously. That don’t pack the rooms with 1001 artefacts. With few, but exquisite objects for contemplation. No unnecessary distractions. No excessive spotlights. Keeping the accompanying text down to a minimum. And no interactives, please!

Well, of course Nina has thought in terms of the ’slow museum’ too — in a tweet from 30 January.

On the other hand, her tweet is only a phrase-drop, she doesn’t include any analysis, no examples. So it’s time to roll out the idea of the slow museum. Hang on!