Exhibition as Interior, Interior as Exhibition: Spaces of Display within and beyond the Museum and Gallery

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Exhibition design has long been studied in the fields of art, design and architecture, but the focus has been on the design of the exhibition narrative, rather than the design as interior space. This book breaks new ground, exploring the complex relationships which exist between exhibitions, museums and galleries and interior design.

Taking a case-study-driven approach, chapters explore a wealth of spaces; looking at contemporary art galleries and globally-renowned museums, and also subverted spaces like squatted homes, high-rises, distilleries and laboratories. Their geographic coverage ranges from socialist Eastern Europe to the US, stopping via many other countries such as Germany, Croatia, Australia and the UK.

These case studies rethink how exhibitions interact with their spatial surroundings, with key themes including the role of labour in creating these spaces, the dualism of public and private space, the impact of exhibition audiences and reception, the political implications of exhibitions and the influence of institutions.

With an interdisciplinary range of contributors, and combining a historical and contemporary outlook, this is a must-read for anyone designing or curating design-driven museum spaces.

Author Bio

Penny Sparke is Professor of Design History and Director of the Modern Interiors Research Centre at Kingston University. She previously co-edited Interiors in the Era of Covid-19 (Bloomsbury 2022).