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A Museum Exhibits Not Just Objects, But Stories

12 June 2025

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dilek Maktal Canko Discusses the Transformative Power of Narrative in Museology in Bornova

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dilek Maktal Canko, Director of Ege University’s Ethnography Museum and Faculty Member at the Department of Art History, met with the people of Bornova as part of the Bornova Municipality Museum Directorate’s “Memory of Stones Talk Series.” In her presentation titled “Witnesses of Time: The Art of Museology,” she emphasized the importance of increasing the number of museums that use storytelling and curated narratives in their exhibitions.

“A Narrative Beyond the Collection Is Necessary”

In her talk, Assoc. Prof. Canko shared her insights on the evolving roles and missions of museums, both globally and in Turkey. She explained that museology today goes beyond preserving objects and artworks—constructing a narrative and telling a story has become an essential and accepted approach.

“Museums Keep the Memory of Society Alive”

Canko highlighted that museums are not merely collections, stating:
“Museums keep the memory of society alive and ensure the transmission of cultural heritage from generation to generation.”
She noted that when the objects in a museum are presented as part of a story, they leave a more lasting impression—especially on children, who can connect more easily and experience a deeper, long-term learning process.

“In this sense,” she said, “museums are evolving from being spaces that simply preserve objects and artworks to ones that assign meaning to them and communicate that meaning to audiences. As a result, the educational role of museums is once again coming to the forefront, as it was in the early days of museology.”

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