Interpreting Together: Stakeholder Collaboration in Exhibition Planning
Session will present: On locationExhibition didactics serve as a critical point of entry for museum audiences. Good interpretation can welcome visitors and open doorways into new understandings, serving as the intermediary when we encounter new and unfamiliar works of art. This panel explores how curators, artists and interpreters can collaborate throughout the exhibition process–from conceptualization to installation and public engagement. It will offer two perspectives on two case studies from two museums. From the Art Institute of Chicago, curators Lisa Cakmak and Katharine Raff will discuss how long-lead interpretive planning impacted their work on Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection, and Marielle Epstein, assistant director of Interpretation, will share how the collaborative planning for this exhibition improved visitor outcomes. From the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, director of Interpretation Jeremy Kreusch will explain how he created and implemented new processes for collaborative interpretive planning with living artists. Artist Wafaa Bilal will, in turn, share his thoughts on how this planning process contributed to the final exhibition and built institutional trust. This session explores the transformative potential of deep collaboration in interpretive planning, far in advance of an exhibition opening for curators, artists, and visitors. By embracing new ways of working, we can move beyond traditional didactic approaches and instead expand our creativity, emotional resonance, and multifaceted storytelling.
Keywords:
Topics: Methodologies
Topics: Exhibitions
Museum Interpretation
Topics: Curatorial Studies
Topics: Contemporary
Chair:
Marielle Epstein
Discussants:
Katharine Raff, The Art Institute of Chicago
,
Jeremy Kreusch, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
,
Marielle Epstein
and
Lisa Cakmak, Art Institute of Chicago
Abstract Submissions Closed