Universidad de Sao Paulo
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
Metaphoric Strategies and
Experience of the Visitors
Lauro Zavala
Universidad Metropolitana - Xochimilco, Ciudad de México
Área de Concentración en Semiótica Intertextual
�General Purpose
-- Exploraing the pertainance of Metaphore Theory when
studying the experience of the visitor
-- Posing a taxonomic model for studying Body Metaphors
in the museum space
-- Presenting this pertainance in the practice of selected sequences of Fiction Films
Theory of Museums
Perspective of the Visitors
Formalist Intertextual Instrumental
Approach Approach Approach
Perspective of the Institution
Theory of Museums
Perspective of the Visitors
Analysis of Communication Educatitional Analysis
(semiotics, sociology, aesthetics) (ethnography, history, ethics)
Formalist Intertextual Instrumental
Approach Approach Approach
Administrative Analysis Technical Analysis
(institutional legitimation) (structural functionality)
Perspective of the Institution
Theory of Museums
Perspective of the Visitors
Narrative Reconstruction
(qualitative methodology)
Formalist Intertextual Instrumental
Approach Approach Approach
Gathering Information
(quantitative methodology)
Perspective of the Institution
Theory of Museums
Perspective of the Visitors
Analysis of Communication Educational Analysis
Did I enjoy the visit? Is my vision of the world
widened?
Administrative Analyisis Technical Analysis
Was the investment worth it? Installations are working well?
Perspectiva de la Institución
Approaches to studying metaphore�-------------------------------------�
Philosophy
Wittgenstein: Metaphore as a Way of Life
(example: youth languages)
Ricoeur: Metaphore as a hermeneutic statement
(understanding / analyzing / comprehending)
Approaches to studying metaphore�-------------------------------------�
Semiotics and Rhetorics
Lakoff: Metaphore as a system of images
(example: love language)
Group M: Metaphore as comparable meanings
(different signifiers)
Approaches to the study of metaphore�-------------------------------------�
Linguistics
(Roman Jakobson)
Metaphore as the axis of substitution
(system, paradigm, principle of selection)
Metonymy as the axis of combination
(statement, syntagm, principle of combination)
Metaphoric Strategies
(Trevor Whittock, 1990)
1. Diaphore (juxtaposition) A / B
2. Difference (affirmation of identity) A is B
3. Distorsion (hyperbole or caricature) A becomes A or A
4. Epiphore (explicit comparison) A is like B
5. Metonymy (displacement by
associate idea) Ab : b
6. Objective Correlative (equivalence) O instead of (ABC)
7. Parallellism (between series) (A / pqr) : (B / pqr)
8. Rupture (disruption of the rule) ABCD changes to AbCD
9. Synecdoche (part in place of whole) A instead of (ABC)
10. Substitution (implied identity) A is substituted by B
T. Whittock: Film and Metaphor. Cambridge University Press, 1990
Metaphoric Strategiesa and
experience of the visitor
Diaphore (juxtaposition) A / B
Explicit comparison produced by technologic simulacra
Difference (affirmation of unity) A is B
Contrast between visitor experience and the exhibit universe
Distorsion (hyperbole or caricature) A becomes A or A
Allusion to features of objects familiar to the visitor
Epiphore (explicit comparison) A is like B
Explicit comparison between the experience of the visitor and the exhibit
Metonymy (displacement by an associate idea) Ab : b
Association suggested by the experience and the universe of the exhibit
Metaphoric strategiesand
visitor experience
Objetive Correlative (equivalence) O instead of (ABC)
Experience of visit produced by technológic simulacra
Parallellism (between series) (A / pqr) : (B / pqr)
Similitude between the visitor universe and that of the exhibit
Rupture (disruption of the rule) ABCD becomes AbCD
Opposition between the visitor universe and the exhibit universe
Sinécdoque (part instead of whole) A instead of (ABC)
Portion of exhibit universe as an allusion to totality
Substitución (implied identity) A is substituted by B
Experience of the visitor substituted by the exhibit universe
Metaphoric experiences of the visitor
The experience of vist produces metaphores when the visitor
PLAYS, EXPLORES, IMAGINES
and establishes COMPARISONS
-- Traditional Museum (Exhibition of objects)
Metaphoric strategies of contrast:
Difference / Distorsion / Rupture / Substitution
-- Modern or Postmodern Museum (Interaction with objects,
modules, spaces, screens, etc.) (kids, virtual, etc.)
Metaphoric strategies of similitude:
Diaphore / Epiphore / Metonymy / Parallellism
Objective Correlative / Synecdoche
Visitor’s Metaphores
Interactive Experiences
Contrast Similitude
Metaphors Metaphors
Exhibition of Objects
Metaphors of the Visitors
Interactive Experiences
Necessary Game
Contrastive Similitude
Metaphors Metaphors
Possible Game
Exhibition of Objects
Metaphoric Games
and visitor experience
(Katya Mandoki, 2007)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Game as action:
Exploration
Game as condition:
Adventure
Game as production:
Conjecture
Game as seizing (prendimiento):
Riddle
Sequencias in fiction films
on the experience of visitors
--------------------------------------------------------------------
To Sir, with Love (USA, James Clavell, 1967)
Dressed to Kill (US, Brian de Palma, 1980)
I Hear the Mermaids Singing (France, Patricia Azéma, 1983)
Nine and a Half Weeks (US, Adrian Lyne, 1986)
Bienvenido Welcome (Mexico, Gabriel Retes, 1998)
The Thomas Crown Affair (US, John McTiernan, 1998)
The Russian Ark (Russia-Germany, Alexander Sokurov, 2002)
The Da Vinci Code (US, Ron Howard, 2006)
Metaphors constructed by the visitors
To Sir, With Love (James Clavell, 1967)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1) EPIPHORE (Explicit comparison)
Girl arranging her oen hairdo
2) METONYMY (Similitude between universes)
Boy smiling
3) DIAPHORE (Implicit comparison)
Profile with aquiline nose
4) PARALLELLISM (Similar series)
Series of embraced couples
Metaphors constructed by the visitors
Dressed to Kill (Brian de Palma, 1980)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1) OBJECTIVE CORRELATIVE (Equivalence)
Woman meditating (Painting)
2) DIFFERENCE (Contrast)
Embraced couple / Lonely woman (Visitors)
3) DISTORSION (Caricature)
Orangutan (Painting)
4) RUPTURE (Interrupted Series)
Girl that runs alone (Visitors)
5) DOUBLE SYNECDOCHE (Between 2 fragments)
a) Gallery to be explored when walking (Visitors)
b) Naked woman (femininity exposed) (Painting)
6) SUBSTITUTION (Displacement)
Man who takes the glove (Visitors)
Conclusions
--------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) La estrategia más importante que pone en práctica el visitante de cualquier espacio museográfico para darle sentido a esta misma experiencia es la construcción de relaciones entre lo familiar y lo desconocido, entre lo personal y lo público, entre lo próximo (en su imaginación y su memoria) y lo inmediato (en su experiencias de visita).
(2) Esta construcción de relaciones significativas se produce por medio de la construcción de un sistema de metáforas. A esta construcción la podemos llamar la metaforización de la experiencia museográfica.
Conclusiones
--------------------------------------------------------------------
(3) La representación que ha hecho el cine de las experiencias de visita a los espacios museográficos muestra de manera clara el proceso de metaforización museográfica.
(4) A su vez, el cine construye diversas formas de metaforización de la experiencia narrativa con recursos de naturaleza audiovisual.
(5) Toda experiencia cotidiana, al ser representada en el lenguaje cinematográfico, puede ser parte de las metáforas de la experiencia museográfica.