How does Information about Creative Process Affect Audience Appreciation of Artwork?

In this article, we proposed an exhibition style which shows visitors not only the artwork itself (i.e., art exhibit) but also information about its creative process (i.e., process exhibit), and examined the effect of this exhibition style. Thirteen pairs of participants were encouraged to talk freely while looking at the art exhibit (their conversations were recorded with ICrecorders), and were also asked to complete questionnaire surveys before and after looking at the process exhibit. The results showed that after getting information about the creative process, they were able to consider the artist’s concepts and thoughts more actively and appreciate this artwork more deeply. The process exhibit also facilitated the audience’s connection of the exhibit to their life experiences. Thus, our study shows that knowledge about the artist’s creative process did, in fact, deepen their understanding without disturbing their aesthetic experiences.