MUSM7030 Exhibition Development

1. Exhibition review

Due: Thu Mar 13, 2025 23:59Due: Thu Mar 13, 2025 23:59

Exhibition Analysis Assignment (1000 words)

Drawing on Margaret Lindauer's approach to critical museum visitation, analyse ONE specific aspect of a current Sydney exhibition (you can not review an exhibit from the Chau Chak Wing Museum). You will need to visit the exhibition and either take notes or document the visit on your phone (in some institutions this is not encouraged so be sure to confirm!)

Choose from the following focus areas:
- Display style. and spatial arrangement
- Written texts and unspoken messages
- The construction of the "ideal visitor"
- Museum architecture and its relationship to the exhibition content

Your exhibition review should:
1. Begin with a clear thesis statement about how your chosen aspect shapes visitor experience and meaning-making be sure to set up the institution (briefly)
2. Support your argument through detailed observations and specific examples from the exhibition (do incldue illustrations, sketches of display design, scans of relevant brochures/screenshots of websites etc)
3. Consider what is both present and absent in your chosen focus area
4. Connect your exhibition review to broader museological concepts and relevant scholarly literature (this can include literature included from the readings or your own wider reading)
5. Reflect on how your chosen aspect relates to the exhibition's overall communicative goals

Key questions to consider:

How does your chosen aspect shape visitor experience and meaning making in the exhibition?

Who is the "ideal visitor" constructed through choices embedded in the exhibition?

What is included or excluded through these presentation decisions?

Assessment Criteria:
- Depth of critical analysis rather than broad description
- Clear connection between detailed observations and broader arguments
- Effective use of Lindauer's analytical framework
- Integration of relevant museological literature
- Clear writing and proper academic referencing be sure to bring in some of the readings from week one to support your discussion

You must include one of the following statements within your assignments [does not count towards the word limit]:

No artificial intelligence of any kind was used in the preparation of this assessment.

OR

No generative artificial intelligence was used in the preparation of this assessment. The following programs were used for the purposes described [insert description of how you have used it - detail what you asked, how you reviewed etc]

Some further advice on the use of AI and how you can credit it in your work is below.

For lighter uses of AI, a suggestion like this might suffice:

· Use of generative artificial intelligence must be appropriately acknowledged. You can do this by where you need to . This additional description does not add to your word count.

An example of such an acknowledgement that a student may provide might look like:

· I acknowledge the use of ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/) to refine the academic language of my own work. On I submitted my entire essay () with the prompt to<“Improve the academic tone and accuracy of language, including grammatical structures, punctuation and vocabulary”>. The output () was then modified further to better represent my own tone and style. of writing.

If their use of AI is heavier, a different approach will be needed. This may involve having students document each of their prompt(s), and the process of critiquing and improving the AI output. Guidance is provided here.

The student-facing AI in Education Canvas siteLinks to an external site., built by students, also provides guidance on how to acknowledge and reference.

2. Exhibition Proposal

Due: Fri Apr 11, 2025 23:59Due: Fri Apr 11, 2025 23:59

Exhibition Proposal Assignment (2,500 words, 40%)

Overview

Design an innovative exhibition for the Chau Chak Wing Museum that demonstrates creative approaches to displaying and interpreting collections while meeting institutional goals and engaging target audiences. Your proposal should showcase your understanding of exhibition development, spatial design and visitor engagement. You will also need to demonstrate your understanding of theory and the content discussed in the course.

Each week of the course takes you through the process of exhibition development and you are encouraged to start to consider your ideas and exhibition early. Time in the final week will be given over to in class discussions and group review to offer feedback on your ideas in development. You should be ready to pitch your idea (to a small group of your peers) as a draft in week 5.

Exhibition Space

· Location: First gallery on the right when entering the museum (currently housing "Union Made")

· Students must visit this space before beginning the proposal

· Your notes and reflections from this visit should be submitted as part of the project supporting documentation. Ensure that you pay attention to spatial constraints, lighting, access and display possibilities.

Required Components

1. Exhibition Overview (600-700 words)

· Working title

· Exhibition concept/theme

· Strategic value to museum

· Alignment with museum's mission and cross-disciplinary approach

· Market positioning and unique offering

· Proposed duration and timing

· Marketing potential possibilities to link to organisations and groups outside the museum

2. Audience and Engagement (700-800 words)

· Detailed target audience analysis

· Evidence for audience selection

· Engagement strategies and tactics

· Visitor experience objectives

· Sample object label (under 150 words) demonstrating a targeted approach to engaging your specific audience

· Educational and public programs

· Marketing and outreach approach

· Expected outcomes and impact

· Audience development opportunities

3. Collections and Content (400 words)

· Object list with rationale, particular notes re conservation and display (in table format)

· Specific Display considerations

· Thematic organisation and narrative flow

4. Exhibition Design (400 words)

· Exhibition layout

· Display methods

· Visitor Flow

· Interpretive strategies

· Environmental requirements

5. Supporting Documentation (not included in word count)

· Notes and reflections from your first visit to the space (submitted either as a pdf of hand written notes or as a short ½ page dot point document)

· Annotated floor plan for your exhibit

· Object images – key objects only

· Bibliography – should include at least five readings from the course

· References

You must include one of the following statements within your assignments [does not count towards the word limit]:

No artificial intelligence of any kind was used in the preparation of this assessment.

OR

No generative artificial intelligence was used in the preparation of this assessment. The following programs were used for the purposes described [insert description of how you have used it - detail what you asked, how you reviewed etc]

Some further advice on the use of AI and how you can credit it in your work is below.

For lighter uses of AI, a suggestion like this might suffice:

o Use of generative artificial intelligence must be appropriately acknowledged. You can do this by where you need to . This additional description does not add to your word count.

An example of such an acknowledgement that a student may provide might look like:

o I acknowledge the use of ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/) to refine the academic language of my own work. On I submitted my entire essay () with the prompt to<“Improve the academic tone and accuracy of language, including grammatical structures, punctuation and vocabulary”>. The output () was then modified further to better represent my own tone and style. of writing.

If their use of AI is heavier, a different approach will be needed. This may involve having students document each of their prompt(s), and the process of critiquing and improving the AI output. Guidance is provided here.

The student-facing AI in Education Canvas siteLinks to an external site., built by students, also provides guidance on how to acknowledge and reference.

3. Essay

Due: Sat Apr 26, 2025 23:59Due: Sat Apr 26, 2025 23:59

Essay (2500 words 40%)

Answer one of the following questions in approximately 2,500 words. You must discuss different examples to those dealt with in the first assignment.

1. Exhibitions are increasingly driven by the role of the visitor. Consider how this shift can be seen in two different exhibitions by comparing the approach of institutions that have attempted to accommodate and include new audiences.

2. Exhibitions are often about presenting authentic objects in a new context. Looking at two specific examples consider how objects can be a challenge for exhibitions? Your answer could discuss objects in relation to areas such as ethics, loans, conservation, multimedia etc.

3. Blockbusters are often seen as a populist exhibition format aimed at maximising visitor numbers, in stark contrast to the scholarly collection based exhibition. How are blockbusters currently used by museums? In answering this question you should compare the approach of two exhibitions. You could explore issues such as whether they advance scholarship or reflect popular taste.

4. According to Gail Dexter Lord, “museum exhibitions are produced through collaboration among professionals from many disciplines.”* What innovations have occurred in the realm of exhibition development in recent years? Discuss in relation to the development of one or two specific exhibitions. (* Gail Dexter Lord (2001), “The Exhibition Planning Process”, in B. Lord & G. Dexter Lord (eds), The Manual of Museum Exhibitions, AltaMira Press, p.1.)

5. How has the rise of community museums influenced and changed the social and cultural role of exhibitions? Are community driven exhibitions opportunities to display identity or do they also function to create identity? Discuss with reference to two specific examples of community based/driven exhibitions.

Your essay will be marked against the following criteria:

1. Relevance of answer to question

2.  Effective use of evidence

3. Critical use of scholarship

4. Development of argument

5. Originality of argument

6. Organisation & structure

7. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, proof-reading

8. Referencing (consistency & appropriateness)

9. Bibliography (format, breadth & relevance of sources used)

You must include one of the following statements within your assignments [does not count towards the word limit]:

No artificial intelligence of any kind was used in the preparation of this assessment.

OR

No generative artificial intelligence was used in the preparation of this assessment. The following programs were used for the purposes described [insert description of how you have used it - detail what you asked, how you reviewed etc]

Some further advice on the use of AI and how you can credit it in your work is below.

For lighter uses of AI, a suggestion like this might suffice:

· Use of generative artificial intelligence must be appropriately acknowledged. You can do this by where you need to . This additional description does not add to your word count.

An example of such an acknowledgement that a student may provide might look like:

· I acknowledge the use of ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/) to refine the academic language of my own work. On I submitted my entire essay () with the prompt to<“Improve the academic tone and accuracy of language, including grammatical structures, punctuation and vocabulary”>. The output () was then modified further to better represent my own tone and style. of writing.

If their use of AI is heavier, a different approach will be needed. This may involve having students document each of their prompt(s), and the process of critiquing and improving the AI output. Guidance is provided here.

The student-facing AI in Education Canvas siteLinks to an external site., built by students, also provides guidance on how to acknowledge and reference.