At the Millbrook Gallery, a sign by the door says, in full, “Talk about it.” The hush that governs most galleries has been lifted, and the effect on a Saturday afternoon is something between a market and a seminar.
Visitors argue about brushwork, tell each other what a painting reminds them of and, in one corner, teach a child to read a title card. The attendants, who used to patrol for whispering, now answer questions and offer stools.
The curator says the change began with a simple observation: most people look at a painting for a few seconds, and the quiet makes them self-conscious about staying longer. Conversation, it turns out, extends the stay.
Not everyone is persuaded. A corner room has been left silent for those who prefer it, and it is busier than expected. The gallery’s lesson may be less about noise than about choice: a museum can be a room in which people decide for themselves how to look.
