Constructing Cultural Narratives through Visual Hyperreality at the National Museum of Indonesia

Abstract

As museums increasingly adopt immersive technologies, visual spectacle can expand engagement while weakening connections to original artifacts and cultural context. This study examines how visual hyperreality constructs cultural narratives at the National Museum of Indonesia and under what curatorial conditions immersion deepens cultural interpretation. Using a descriptive-interpretive phenomenological design, the study triangulated spatial observations, visual documentation, institutional records, interviews with three museum managers, questionnaires from 108 local and 17 international visitors, and follow-up interviews with nine post-ImersifA visitors. Findings reveal a relational mechanism: artifacts anchor authenticity; curatorial narratives direct interpretation; immersive space produces embodied and affective engagement; and digital media expand historical and cultural contexts. Seven of nine participants intended to view original artifacts after ImersifA, indicating that immersion can operate as a bridge rather than a substitute. The study advances visual hyperreality as an artifact-anchored curatorial framework connecting authenticity, immersion, participation, and meaning while limiting the risk of spectacle.