The only thing that is really powerful about the experience in the museum is the personal connection that people have with the pieces of art there. Art does not convey information in a simple manner the way a book or lecture does; every individual interprets it uniquely through use of symbols and emotions and images. One painting can take someone back to their childhood, a photo can remind them of their culture and an abstract can help them to feel emotions that they are not able to explain. Such associations make the visit look more like a conversation between the viewer and the artwork than merely a viewing. It is during such experiences of self-identification that a visit to a museum is memorable.
Art as a Mirror of Life
To a great number of people, works of art are reflections of their personal experiences. A portrait can be a reminder of someone they loved, a landscape picture can be a reminder of a place they were once in, or a sculpture can be a representation of a struggle they have undergone. This mimicry effect enables the visitor to perceive pieces of their own lives in the art of artists of other times and locations. This acknowledgement is often emotional and significant and the experience at the museum seems personal and close rather than far away and formal.
Connections With Culture and Identity.
Art also links people to cultures they belong to. When visiting artifacts of their own culture, a visitor may experience pride and belonging, or they may develop new respect for other cultures by viewing artworks of another region of the world. Such cultural ties lead to empathy, allowing visitors to embrace diversity and at the same time valuing their own history. Museums therefore serve as vehicles of cross-cultural understanding and dialogue, and they are way more profound than that.
Serving the Heart and Reconciliation.
In some cases, the relation that people have to art is even deeper–the art becomes their healing. Visitors are likely to feel that their grief, love, or resilience is felt by people throughout time and space, standing in front of a piece of work that conveys those feelings. This emotional identification can be therapeutic, provide relief, inspiration, or just the assurance that they are not the only ones feeling that way. Most do revisit some of the artworks repeatedly, as many would revisit an old friend who they know.
One of the Unique Experiences of each visitor.
There is no universal way people perceive an artwork and this is what makes visiting museums so unique. Every person has a history, memories, and feelings he/she carries to the interaction, building an exclusive understanding of the piece of art. The same visitor might experience differently when returning to a work at a later stage in his or her life, because their experiences define new horizons. Such a dynamic relationship makes each visit to the museum unforgettable and unique, and new things will be discovered every time.