Illustrated visual storytelling for cultural sustainability: The Kelana Rempah Exhibition

Abstract

Museums with limited collections often rely on creative visual strategies to maintain public engagement, especially among younger audiences. This study examines how illustrated visual storytelling can support sustainable cultural engagement in exhibition design. It focuses on the Kelana Rempah temporary exhibition at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum in Palembang, Indonesia, exploring how illustration-based spatial narratives can make historical content more engaging and accessible. The exhibition was developed from an illustrated webtoon and translated into a series of thematic zones combining character-based visuals, narrative panels, and spatial arrangements. Visitors were invited to experience the atmosphere of Palembang during the Srivijaya era through a narrative journey designed to be clear, engaging, and relatable for school-aged audiences. The design process drew on visual narrative, experiential design, and participatory approaches, using mostly paper-based and modular materials. This research uses qualitative methods, including observation, design documentation, and reflective evaluation. The findings suggest that illustration can play a central role in shaping visitor experience, helping audiences engage with historical narratives in a more intuitive and meaningful way. The study also shows that illustration-based exhibition design can offer a flexible and resource-conscious approach to sustaining cultural engagement