The Value and Creation Strategies of “Non- Digitizable” Sensory Experiences in Physical Exhibition Spaces

Abstract

While digital technologies bring immersive experiences to exhibition spaces, they also give rise to a crisis of “digital flattening”, the compression of rich sensory experiences into visually dominant data streams. Grounded in phenomenology and embodied cognition theory, this paper proposes the concept of “non-digitizable sensory” experiences and deconstructs it into four dimensions: material tactility, bodily scale, atmospheric field, and interactive traces. It systematically discusses their irreplaceable value at the cognitive, emotional, social, and cultural levels. Subsequently, four major strategies are constructed: the method of material tactile narration, the method of bodily movement choreography, the method of holistic atmospheric control, and the method of participatory trace design. Through case studies, the dialectical relationship of “physicality as the foundation, digital technology as the tool” is verified. This research aims to provide both a theoretical pathway and practical tools for exhibition design to return to human-centered experience.