Important Elements for Exhibition Curation
Xinchen Du
Integrative Seminar 2
Professor Niki Tulk
June 23, 2015
Why it is indispensable to have a good representation of art works? Why cannot we just display them in a clear order in a wide space? Why do we have to design an exhibition? Besides totally understanding the art work and artist, there are many elements that effect the display of artwork in museums and galleries, such as the organisation and use of the display space, the role of framing, and the knowledge of lighting.
Space in a museum is like the battleground for soldiers. The essential point of winning the war is how well they know the terrain in order to arrange their troops in a most efficient way. Therefore, for the exhibition designers, the whole museum space is their front line, and their mission is to know every single feet of the space and devise the best way to display the art work depending on different element and effects, such as the environmental light of the space, the truly useful area, and the area where they can put an installation. For instance, Mary Anne Staniszewski in her book, The Power of Display: A history of exhibition installations at the Museum of Modern Art, talks about the exhibition designs of Frederick Kiesler. He is a typical example of how to use a limited space to create a very functional and interesting show. Mary mentions that “at Guggenheim’s request, Kiesler created four exhibition areas: a painting “library” and study area, a Surrealist gallery, an abstract art gallery, and a kinetic gallery. Throughout these galleries were multiples of Kiesler’s “chair”, which were used as a single unit or combined with identical units to create variations of painting and sculpture pedestals, chairs, sofas, and table”.In the Surrealist Gallery, Kiesler found that this space is darker than other area of the museum because there is no natural light from outside. When he sat on the floor, an image of a tunnel where the train will pass through came to him, and this became his design idea as well. Kiesler made two curving display walls on each side of the room. All the art works are hanging in different angles depending on the size and curvature of the wall. If the small painting is placed on the bottom of the wall, it will be shown in a upswept angle. On the other hand, if the painting is on the top of the wall, it will toward down. In the middle of the gallery, there are some Kiesler’s chair that people can sit and enjoy the art work quietly. Also, “the lighting was engineered so that half of the painting were lit half the time and where every two minutes a recording of the roar of a train sounded”. The whole gallery is kind of an installation because Kiesler redesigned the original showing space and put in some interesting elements that viewers can interact with the work.
Framing artworks is a very particular job that can enlarge the feeling of the artwork. In general, we all think that the function of the frame is only for giving a boundary to the art piece. However, framing also plays more effective role of separating artwork from interruptions to the viewers’ focus that may come from their surroundings, adding more corresponding emotion to the art piece, and emphasising the topic of the piece. As Annamma Joy quotes in her article, Framing Art: the role of galleries in the circulation of art, that “framing a work implies a certain imposed direction whereby the viewer is persuaded to discard what is external to the frame and to focus instead on what os made visible”. For example, The painting, The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, in the Uffizi Gallery Museum, eulogizes Venus’s love and spiritual beauty. The whole feeling of this painting is very peaceful and warm as if each character in it is covered with the light from heaven. Undoubtedly, it is one of the world’s most famous and appreciated works of art. Therefore, the framing of is painting is very magnificent with the beautifully decorated golden frame. Because the frame is so gorgeous, it adds a more ceremonious feeling to the birth of Venus. Different century’s painting has different framing—unlike the old European oil paintings with complicated and sumptuous frames, contemporary art often uses a very simple and clear framing style, such as the work from Piet Mondrian, Mark Rothko, and Andy Warhol. Their work’s framing is never too complex, on the contrary, they use the simplest black or white frame or even no frame to make viewer concentrate to the art piece itself. Just like the article Robert Irwin’s Always Making Artistic Progress by Robert L says about artist, Robert Irwin, that “this notion of art without frames, a more continuous visual experience, is crucial to Irwin’s art”. Sometimes, no frame is a better way to directly read an art piece.
Last but not least, lighting is an essential element for curation of art work. At first, although I know it is a very important part of exhibition design, my knowledge for this is only the surface of this endless sea. Until I read the book Light for Art’s Sake: lighting for artworks and museum displays, written by Christopher Cuttle, I learnt more professional knowledge about museum and gallery lighting. Christopher Cuttle proposes that different light will lend a different influence to the art work display in the museums or galleries. Christopher writes that “there are techniques of application to further modify interactions with light, such as impasto, which gives texture to the painting layer, and the addition of glaze to the paint surface to affect how light is scattered upon incidence”. Thus, the very first thing before designers set of a display space, they should view and analysis all the art work will be shown, not only from the art itself but also discover the meaning behind this art piece, artist’s background, and what was the feeling the artist held when they were making it. After truly understanding the art, designers can really choosing what is the best lighting position, what feeling and effect will fit to the context of the art work.
Christopher not only talks about how well use light can enhance the visual effect of an art work, but also emphasises that lighting also brings damage to the art work. “There are two processes by which light-induced digression occurs: photochemical reactions and radiant heating effect”. Photochemical reaction is mainly caused by exposure of light and effects objects in a molecular structure, especially is pigment changes. As we all know that paintings are one of the major exhibited art works and paintings are basically built with hundreds or even thousands pigments and dyes. Thus, the lights will cause the change of the painting’s color gradually, even though it won’t be very obvious. To try our best to prevent this damage from lighting, the designers of exhibition have to measure amounts of exposure based on measuring collar changes.
Besides the effect from “photochemical reaction”, the “radiant heating effect” causes more damage to the art works. When we turn on the light for a long time, the temperature of the light bulb will get higher and higher. In a same way, when the lights in the museum directly illuminate the art work, the temperature of the surface of art work will rise and lead to the following consequences: “cracking, breaking down of glued joints in wooden objects, and separation of varnishes from substrates”. Therefore, “the aim of maintaining constant air temperature and relative humidity in a museum is to keep materials dimensionally stable”. After reading Christopher’s book, I realises how important the lighting is. A good lighting creates a nice exhibition environment and visual effect. On the other hand, if we don’t pay attention to the bad effect of lighting, can you imagine how many incredible and historical art works will be damaged little by little? I start to notice and pay attention to the whole display of the exhibition when visit museums and galleries. I find out many old and master’s paintings are covered with glasses on the surface. Now, I understand that this might is used to protect the art from receiving the lights directly.
A good and appealing exhibition is not only about showing art works but also about how to make viewers interact with the art work and the whole display space. An exhibition is composed by many elements and especially the display of artwork will be affected by how to utilise the limited display space, choosing the best appropriate frame, and the controls of lighting. However, an outstanding display designer won’t stop exploring the profound knowledge of exhibition design after only learning these basic skills.
End note
Staniszewski, Mary Anne. The power of display: A history of exhibition installations at the Museum of Modern Art. Cambridge, MA: Mit Press, 1998.
Joy, Annamma. “Framing art: the role of galleries in the circulation of art.” (1996).
“Robert Irwin’s Always Making Artistic Progress by Robert L. Pincus (Printed April 18th, 2010 The San Diego Union Tribune).” Quint Gallery.
Cuttle, Christopher. Light for art’s sake: lighting for artworks and museum displays. Routledge, 2007.
Bibliography
Staniszewski, Mary Anne. The power of display: A history of exhibition installations at the Museum of Modern Art. Cambridge, MA: Mit Press, 1998.
Joy, Annamma. “Framing art: the role of galleries in the circulation of art.” (1996).
“Robert Irwin’s Always Making Artistic Progress by Robert L. Pincus (Printed April 18th, 2010 The San Diego Union Tribune).” Quint Gallery.
Cuttle, Christopher. Light for art’s sake: lighting for artworks and museum displays. Routledge, 2007.
