Museum Speaks: Discourses of Digitalization and Transformation of Museum Practices

This paper explores the evolving discourses surrounding the digital transformation of museums. It presents results from the fieldwork study done in Graz in 2024. Using a mixed-method approach that integrates qualitative and digital methods and tools, i.e. Situational Analysis, Foucauldian Discourse Analysis and Topic Modelling, the study investigates the inconsistencies and discrepancies in the digitalization of cultural heritage practices. Research sample consists of interviews with experts in the field, as well as data scraped from the websites and social media platforms, providing a comprehensive view of the museum discursive practices. Drawing on Conal McCarthy’s indicators of museum practices, and Michel Foucault’s notion of discursive practices, this research starts from the hypothesis that digitalization of cultural heritage in museums involves both technology and discourses, allowing for its recreation and recontextualization, as well as its non-localized, interactive and innovative use. The aim is to demonstrate that digitalization of cultural heritage and digital transformation of museums are not merely technological shifts but are deeply embedded in broader discursive networks and social practices that shape and influence museums. The study confirms that discourses of digitalization are intertwined with ongoing transformations and debates about power, access, and reconfiguration of cultural spaces in a digital age. The findings also contribute to a better understanding of how museums negotiate digital change, revealing opportunities and challenges in fostering more inclusive and participatory digital environments in their practices.