Where the Seats Have No Name: In Defense of Museum Benches
Sitting gets a bad rap. The last few years have seen articles and media outlets touting that “Sitting is the new smoking.” Standing desks are the latest office furniture trend. And in museums too, it seems like visitors are primarily encouraged to meander, remaining upright. But sitting isn’t all bad. In fact, there are many reasons why placing one’s derriére on a horizontal surface can make a museum visit more enjoyable: to rest, to write, to sketch, to talk, to look, etc.