111. Why Software Hasn't Eaten Museums (Yet)

111. Why Software Hasn't Eaten Museums (Yet)

December 15, 2025 · 13 min

About this episode

Lucas Junqueira discusses the importance of sustainable software in museums and the impact of technology on the museum experience.

Museums today are filled with software, yet they've largely avoided being "eaten" by the tech industry. Unlike music or movies, exhibitions can't be downloaded or scaled infinitely. There's only one Mona Lisa. But if the wrong platform finds the right leverage, that immunity may not last. Which is why the kind of software museums choose matters. TilBuci is a free, open-source tool used by museums to build touchscreens, kiosks, and projections. It was created by Brazilian software developer Lucas Junqueira after watching too many digital exhibitions quietly break down once the opening buzz faded. Designed to be usable by museum staff long after developers leave, TilBuci treats software not as a product, but as infrastructure. In this episode, Lucas Junqueira talks about what it takes to build museum software that lasts. Through the story of a projection still running on the facade of the Space of Knowledge museum in Belo Horizonte over a decade after it opened, we explore how open, locally controlled tools extend the life of museum systems, and what's at stake if a tech platform ever inserts itself between museums and their audiences. Image: A projection animates the façade of the…

People in this episode

Host: Ian Elsner

Guest: Lucas Junqueira

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: TilBuci, Space of Knowledge museum

Books & works: Mona Lisa

Places: Belo Horizonte, Espaço do Conhecimento, Praça da Liberdade

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