Contemporary zoos publicize their role as centers for the conservation of endangered species and include so-called "naturalistic displays." These and other aspects of the new zoos can be fruitfully analyzed from the perspective of what some analysts describe as the predominance of "visual culture" in modern societies. The following essay nonetheless makes the case for an interpretation of zoos that highlights their multisensual character. On the basis of the semeiotic theory of Charles Sanders Peirce and the results of visitor research at two British zoos, the essay develops an account that articulates four different modalities of observation and their corresponding economies of multisensuality. |
