What Makes an Exhibition … an Exhibition?

A “canon” is list of influential classics that make a field what it is. Literature has Joyce and Morrison, classical has Beethoven and Chopin, jazz has Miles and Billie.

One could propose a canon of past exhibition projects. If one had a death wish.

Instead, let’s look at the canon of exhibition project components. Quick, what are the elements that make an exhibition what it is?

Artifacts? Not always. Science center and children’s exhibitions often have no collection items.

Platforms and vitrines? Not if there are no artifacts.

Frames? Same.

Walls? Nope, an exhibition can float in a larger space.

Media technology? No. Many very modern shows have none.

Lighting? Yes! (Except, hmm, outdoor sculpture parks in the daytime.)

Title text and interpretive labels? Yes. Hard to imagine an exhibition that refuses to identify or explain itself.

Here’s the thing:
Exhibitions actually have almost no canonical must-haves. But there are two: lighting and interpretive labels. If you have those two things, it’s an exhibition.

And everything else is an opportunity waiting for your new idea.

Warmly,
Jonathan

P.S. Can you think of something else that makes an exhibition an exhibition? Hit reply and let me know!