People evidently do not want to disturb the experiences of others in a museum, even though it is a public space. In the mall, voices proclaiming entire conversations could often be heard. Young babies cried and loud music blared in the background and people seem less self-conscious about disturbing others -- there is no price of admission, only the price of consuming.
In both places, the hard floors echoed sound, or carpets constrained the delivery of sound in different areas. But one are was entirely characterized by silence with the occasional hum of a whisper, the other by loudness, and both places were either so silent or so loud, listening soon became uninteresting -- everything was white silence or white noise. However, this did not mean that there was a lack of engagement at the museum between people -- individuals often walked in groups, talking and discussing inaudibly either the artwork or personal matters.
These observations raise the provoking question...
The boisterous atmosphere in the museum gift shop, filled with excited children pointing to toys designed to excite children about art may be testimony to the fact that commercialization and the ability to possess something provokes irreverence -- as might the quieter tones of the mall stores, such as jewelry boutiques, with more expensive items where people often go to look rather than to buy.
