Exhibition Design

Exhibition design is the planning and creation of a place where the audience can appreciate the exhibits. The objective is to create an information environment that allows visitors to confront the exhibits, create dialogue, and realize communication. Exhibits in this context refer to works of art, museum materials, etc. The curator (chief curator or director) who oversees the exhibition formulates the concept of the exhibition design and selects the exhibits based on his or her academic and cultural knowledge of the exhibits. The curator plans how to present the context of the exhibits as a whole, considering the balance between exhibition methods and related information.

Ideally, the audience should be able to access the exhibits freely, but in reality, most of the time, the exhibits are viewed through museums or special exhibitions, and this is where the significance of the exhibition curator as a mediator lies. In Japan, curatorial qualifications are based on the Museum Law, and they are responsible for many roles such as the conservation, management, research, restoration, and exhibition of artworks and cultural properties, but the term “exhibition curator” here refers to someone whose main job is to direct special exhibitions.

A variety of techniques and methods are used in the creation of exhibition design. By integrating various design techniques such as architecture, interior design, wall and wall fixture construction, lighting equipment, graphics, visual image, digital tools, sound, and content development, a place where the audience can encounter the exhibits is created. The placement of the exhibits is determined according to the exhibition curator’s concept, and the configuration and flow of the space is determined so as not to interfere with the audience’s understanding and interpretation. In the case of multiple exhibits, the exhibition curator respects the existing context of each exhibit and treats it critically, aiming to create new meanings by placing other exhibits side by side.

Exhibits contain a variety of meta-information, such as captions with titles, materials, and ages, as well as explanatory panels and videos. In the case of works of art, excessive information inhibits the audience’s freedom of appreciation. On the other hand, in the case of museum materials and academic specimens, it would be appropriate to provide easy access to academic and historical explanations at the request of the audience. The use and development of digital tools and the enhancement and linkage of online information will be important. Although audio guides have become widespread in many exhibitions, there is still a lot of potential in terms of their content and more effective use.

Creating an environment in which visitors can access relevant information before and after their visit will become increasingly important in the relationship between exhibits and their audiences. Publicity activities for exhibitions aimed at audiences, virtual museums where works can be viewed online, presentation of related information, and enhancement of archives need to be planned in conjunction with exhibition design. In some cases, information not in the form of commentary or related information, but through other media, can bring out the appeal of exhibits that cannot be seen on their own. “Chamber of Curiosities: Manneristic Natural History photographed by Yoshihiko Ueda” (University Museum, University of Tokyo, 2006) and “Kyushu University Museum Bus Project” (2012), projects in which photographers took pictures of academic specimens, were well received. The pictures were taken under carefully calculated lighting, revealing the beauty of the specimens in a way that is usually not apparent. This is the achievement of an exhibition direction that captures the exhibits from a different angle, and can be seen as a collaboration between academic specimens and photo art. In “Sparse and Dense: Soundscape ´ Collection” (University Museum, University of Tokyo, 2021), an effort was made to show academic specimens as a live program by controlling the changing light and sound. An exhibition space is a place full of stimuli and suggestions for the audience. The purpose of exhibition design is to create a dialogue with the exhibits, rather than a one-way flow of information where the exhibits have some value and the audience sees them.

When considering exhibition design, the three generations of museums proposed by Arata Isozaki are still valid as a basic problem. The first generation of museums, such as the Louvre, which is a converted palace and displays the collections of royalty and aristocracy, has only the meaning of historical heritage in that it overwhelms visitors with the authority and prestige of the architectural space and exhibits. Nevertheless, the method of appealing to the viewer with the overwhelming presence of the space and exhibits is still effective today. The “Small Room of Curiosities” (Ginza Maison Hermès/University Museum, University of Tokyo, 2008) creates a mysterious exhibition space full of surprises by displaying existing valuable academic specimens along with modern luxury brand products in quaint fixtures that have been used in universities since old times.

The second generation of white cube exhibition space is still synonymous with contemporary exhibition space, and the variability and versatility of the empty space makes it suitable for temporary exhibitions. However, in relation to the abstract and pure white neutrality, Jun Aoki pointed out that “the space is filled with a sense of tension that cannot be found in reality.” Although many galleries are white cubes and have been considered too highbrow, in recent years there have been more exhibitions and artworks that can be enjoyed casually, and gallerists are increasingly involved in exhibitions outside their own galleries and play a curatorial role in diverse exhibition spaces.

The third generation, realized in the Isozaki-designed Nagi Museum of Contemporary Art (1994), is a space that provides an experience that can only be achieved in that place, where the unique place and the work are closely connected. There are also facilities that appear to be white cubes, such as the Aomori Prefectural Museum of Art (2006) and the Towada Art Center (2008), but connect with artworks and the land in a specific way.

At present, many site-specific artworks that make use of the characteristics of the land and place are being seen in art festivals and art projects developed in the region. There are many examples of spaces where old buildings have been converted or renovated, and their historicity and individuality create a synergistic effect with new artworks and exhibits. The artist-in-residence method and the work-in-progress method, in which the process of completion is regarded as a work of art, are also becoming more common.

In addition to the relationship with the place, the emphasis on dialogue and interaction with the local people is a natural progression, considering the original purpose of exhibition design, which is to foster communication through the exhibits. The exhibition design of the future will be a design that realizes the experience of art and appreciation through the creation of artworks, the selection of exhibits, and the close relationship with places and facilities. It is also an act that encourages the autonomy and participation of the audience.

(SAITO Toshifumi)

References

• 磯崎新（1996）『造物主義論 デミウルゴモルフィスム』鹿島出版会
• 九州大学大学院芸術工学研究院/齋藤俊文編（2013）『九州大学ミュージアムバスプロジェクト』九州大学出版会
• 西野嘉章編（2006）『東京大学コレクション 写真家上田義彦のマニエリスム博物誌』赤々舎