Suono e allestimento narrativo: approcci, strategie, strumenti di progetto

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of sound design as a strategic design matter within the field of narrative exhibition design for cultural heritage. Starting from the assumption that the exhibition path constitutes a narrative, the research questions how sound can contribute to the conception and construction of exhibition setups, and which design tools can support designers in this integration. Despite a growing attention to sound in contemporary museology and museography – evidenced by professional practices and academic studies – the discipline still lacks a structured theoretical-methodological framework that codifies its design use. The article proposes a systematisation of the role of sound along four interconnected dimensions: a spatial dimension, which defines the sensory geography of the space; a perceptual dimension, which guides the visitor and stimulates their emotional sphere; a relational and medial dimension, which modulates interactions; and a fourth connective dimension, hypothesised as an operational and theoretical space in which curator and designer co-design sound as a transversal narrative device. A classification of possible levels of sonic interaction is also proposed – passive, reactive, adaptive, and dialogic – which describes a progressive increase in relational complexity between visitor and sonic environment, up to participatory co-creation. To support these approaches, the study introduces three design tools: the Sound-Exhibition Score, which describes the sonic dramaturgy along the exhibition path in diagrammatic form; the Canvas of Sonic Narratives, which guides the designer in defining the user, listening experience, and narrative strategies; and the Notational System of Sonic Narration, which translates the compositional structures of sound (linearity, stratification, contrast, rhythm) into visual representations. These tools were subjected to empirical validation in a design workshop at the ADI Design Museum in Milan. In conclusion, the article moves towards an integrative and interdisciplinary logic, which recognises sound design as a structural variable of the museum project. The research identifies three future directions: the development of tools for analysis, design, and evaluation of the sonic experience; the redefinition of training pathways oriented towards new professional profiles that cannot disregard the dialogue between humanities, design, and technical skills; and reflection on the conservation and updating of sonic exhibitions in an era of rapid technological obsolescence.