The Theatre of Objects as a Narrative Device of Interior Space: Object, Atmosphere, and Experience

Abstract

This reflective article analyzes object theatre as a multisensory narrative strategy with potential for application in the study of interior space and furniture. Originating in the museographic field through its implementation in the 1980s, object theatre proposes the construction of immersive experiences through simple technological and exhibition resources—lighting, sound, and narrative—aimed at activating the viewer’s imagination, emotion, and empathy, all without resorting to direct interaction with the objects. From a qualitative–interpretative approach, based on documentary analysis and theoretically grounded reflection, this article explores the relevance of this conceptual framework for rethinking interior space as a narrative element and furniture as an active material actor in the construction of spatial experience. The results of this analysis are articulated as conceptual contributions that move beyond a purely functional view of furniture, integrating symbolic, atmospheric, and experiential dimensions into the interior design project process. This paper highlights both the scope and the limitations of transferring object theatre to interior design, emphasizing the need for a critical adaptation that balances narrative and habitability. It concludes that object theatre is a relevant theoretical tool for contemporary design thinking and opens new lines of research related to the experience of inhabiting space.

Keywords: interior design, furniture, spatial narrative, atmosphere, user experience, museography.