Paying attention

In this article I explore the difference between individual and collective attention. I discuss the ways in which museum experience is impacted by the number of visitors in attendance and the social qualities of the environment. The Berkeley Art Museum’s [email protected] Friday evening programme is introduced as an example of a programme that fosters collective attention. In this context, I discuss the performance of György Ligeti’s Poème Symphonique (1962), which resulted in a remarkable experience of collective attention.