From past achievements to possible futures

Science museums as spaces for futures thinking

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21600591
AutoresJacob Thorek Jensen (0009-0000-3460-1275, University of Copenhagen, autor de correspondencia)
Año2026
Páginas1-20
Fecha de publicación2026-04-13
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaMuseum Management and Curatorship (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0964-7775 • E-ISSN: 1872-9185
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09647775.2026.2654875
OpenAlexW7154066385
IdiomaFR
Referencias citadas55

Museums are increasingly called upon to contribute to the creation of more sustainable futures. Yet, little attention has been paid to how science museums, in particular, might transform themselves into spaces for thinking about and imagining positive futures. This article is a case study from the Danish Museum of Science and Technology, which explores how an arts-based science communication performance workshop enabled participants to engage differently with sustainability issues such as climate change and changing landscapes. The analysis demonstrates how incorporating more-than-human perspectives, by granting agency to objects on display and introducing elements that are otherwise unfamiliar in a science museum setting, can prompt participants to think about futures in new and unexpected ways. The article argues that such approaches enable science museums to move beyond a primary focus on the past and instead become spaces for futures thinking, thereby positioning them as key actors in shaping more sustainable futures

Futures contract · Futures studies · Metaphor · Environmental, Ecological, and Cultural Studies · Museums and Cultural Heritage · Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life