Recent Books and Articles on Museums and Galleries Responses to a Research Request Ken Friedman September 2005 -- Dear Colleagues, Two weeks ago, I sent an information request to several lists seeking an up-to-date, English-language textbook for a course designed to introduce students to the realities of the museum and gallery world and professional practice in the museum and gallery field. 33 coleagues sent generous and extensive replies. Here follows a compilation of the replies. To set the context, I repeat the request. I am seeking books and I am also seeking articles for a compendium collection for a course with this description: "This course will give students an insight into the characteristics of the art gallery and the museum as an institution and as a setting for work and cultural production. To explore course themes, students will consider the history of museums and galleries, cultural policy, and organizational forms. Students will also examine the economic challenges and market issues that face art galleries and museums today. "This course will give students overview of the organizational and economic dimensions of art galleries and museums in Norway and around the world. Course participants will develop the ability to understand and analyze art galleries in terms of its internal characteristics and the critical factors in the larger environment that shape them." The range of topics in the course is broad. The book can approach the theme from any of several perspectives. It is not necessary to cover everything in a single book provided that there is an overview. Art gallery as social institution The history of galleries The work of the gallery The gallery and cultural production Art markets and the sociology of art Museums The museum as social institution The history of the museum The museum and cultural production The museum as conceptual marketplace Museums and the sociology of art The economics of art Sponsorship and integrated sponsorship Cultural collaboration Organizational and economic challenges of the art gallery Organizational and economic challenges of museums Experience and practice Galleries, museums, art worlds I am compiling all suggestions and posting the compilations to the lists. Returns so far have been helpful, and I am herewith sending the first compilation. I welcome further contributions. Please send your suggestions directly to me at [log in to unmask] Thank you, Ken Friedman Professor of Leadership and Strategic Design Department of Communication, Culture, and Language Norwegian School of Management Design Research Center Denmark's Design School email: [log in to unmask] -- -- Responses to date: 1 From: John McMillan <[log in to unmask]> 2 From: "Martin Ferro-Thomsen" <[log in to unmask]> 3 From: M P Ranjan <[log in to unmask]> 4 From: David Sless <[log in to unmask]> 5 From: Deborah Jones <[log in to unmask]> 6 Reply-To: Olav Velthuis <[log in to unmask]> 7 From: Christena Nippert-Eng <[log in to unmask]> 8 From: Alan Murdock <[log in to unmask]> 9 From: kristina niedderer <[log in to unmask]> 10 From: <[log in to unmask]> 11 From: "Bathurst, Ralph" <[log in to unmask]> 12 From: "Daria Loi" <[log in to unmask]> 13 From: Stine Hoholt, Arken 14 From: Michael A R Biggs <[log in to unmask]> 15 From: "Charlotte Frost" <[log in to unmask]> 16 From: "Tracey Lovejoy" <[log in to unmask]> 17 From: Pete Hindle <[log in to unmask]> 18 From: morrie fred <[log in to unmask]> 19 From: Katja Lindqvist <[log in to unmask]> 20 From: "Bonnick, Nicola J" <[log in to unmask]> 21 From: Kjetil Fallan <[log in to unmask]> 22 From: Louise Mazanti <[log in to unmask]> 23 From: Richard Farr <[log in to unmask]> 24 Search by Ken Friedman 25 From: daniela <[log in to unmask]> 26 From: "Geoff Matthews" <[log in to unmask]> 27 From: Lily Diaz <[log in to unmask]> 28 From: Charles Burnette <[log in to unmask]> 29 From: "Nelle Steele" <[log in to unmask]> 30 From: morrie fred <[log in to unmask]> 31 From: Vanessa Rood <[log in to unmask]> 32 From: "Bathurst, Ralph" <[log in to unmask]> 33 From: Carey Young <[log in to unmask]> 34 From: "Geoff Matthews" <[log in to unmask]> 35 From: Hans Samuelson <[log in to unmask]> 36 Susan Baldino <[log in to unmask]> 37 From: "John Cimino" <[log in to unmask]> -- (1) To: [log in to unmask] From: John McMillan <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Museum Developing Museum Exhibitions for Lifelong Learning Ed, Gail Durbin Museums and Galleries Commission The Stationery Office, London 1996 ISBN 0 11 290552 8 Object Lessons - The Role of Museums in Education Ed. Sue Mitchell Scottish Museums Council HMSO, Edinburgh 1996 ISBN 0 11 495756 8 John McMillan Senior Lecturer School of Art & Design University of Ulster York Street Belfast BT15 1ED Telephone: +44 (0)28 9026 7304 Fax: +44 (0)28 9026 7356 EMail: [log in to unmask] -- (2) From: "Martin Ferro-Thomsen" <[log in to unmask]> Dear Ken - I know of no full textbook, but here are a few hints about the white cube as institution - probably the most important concept in contemporary art. The book is actually source material from artists on the institution - could benefit greatly in a compendium (it is in both German and English). The second link is perhaps the best article on institutional critique - which one MUST know of if trying to comprehend the contemporary art market and the status of institution. CRAVAGNA, Christian (Ed.) 2001 The Museum as Arena. Artists on Institutional Critique, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Cologne, ISBN: 3- 88375- 478- 1 YANAL, Robert J. 1998 ‘The Institutional Theory of Art’ in The Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, ed. Michael Kelly, Oxford University Press, also available from http://homepage.mac.com/ryanal/Philosophy/Yanalcv.html I know most about the 'art games' that goes on outside the traditional institutions (gallery, museum) - where the institution still is omnipresent. Get back to me, if you desire more text on that subject. Best, Martin www.ferro.dk -- (3) Cc: Suranjana Satwalekar <[log in to unmask]>, M P Ranjan <[log in to unmask]> From: M P Ranjan <[log in to unmask]> Dear Ken (long post and some reminiscing) At NID we have been teaching Exhibition and Museum design for as far back as I can remember, even before I joined in 1969 as a student. NID has also been an active player in the creation of Museums and Exhibitions for a variety of clients. Your note is very crisp and the call for resources will be of great use to us as well and I am therefore forwarding your note to my faculty colleagues off list to see if they can contribute to your effort directly. I will get back to the list and to you if some substantial resources are recommended by them. Besides those on our faculty at present I can think of some former colleagues (who have retired or moved on to consulting) who are considered experts in the subject and I particularly refer to the husband and wife team of Vikas and Suranjana Satwalekar, now design consultants in the field, who have been responsible for the shaping of the NID's exhibition design and museum design activities over the past twenty years or more. They will respond to you directly. NID's major Exhibit design experience started with the great "Nehru Exhibition" that was designed at NID Ahmedabad for the Government of India by Charles and Ray Eames from September to December 1964 and it was first exhibited at the 10,000 square feet space in the Union Carbide Building, on Park Avenue on 49th Street in New York. It then travelled to Washington, Los Angeles, London and Paris. Thereafter another copy was prepared and fabricated for Japan and Australia. It was this copy that came to Chile in 1973 and the NID team headed by Prof Dashrath Patel, which included me as a young designer and faculty colleague, to help set up and hand over the exhibit to the Ambassador of India in Chile in January 1973. It was here that I met the President of Chile, Salvadore Allende, on the 26th of January 1973, and later connected with the great work done by him as reported in the book by Stafford Beer, "Platform for Change", and it changed my perception of design for ever. After this "Magnum Opus" the NID faculty were involved in no less than 100 (or more) major exhibition projects, temporary and permanant, and in recent years in some very high tech offerings are still in the making. Recently inaugurated Museum for Numismatics, by the Reserve Bank of India in Mumbai had security features and display standards that are globally acknowledged. Two ongoing projects include the re-design of the Victoria Memorial Museum in Kolkatta and the enormous "Khalsa Heritage Museum, in Punjab for the Government of Punjab to be located in a major architectural complex that has been designed by the Isreali architect Moshe Safdie. I am reflecting on this enormous body of work and sharing this note with my faculty colleagues since very little of this vast experience is still available in print and the experience resides in the many individuals who have worked on these several hundred projects of very high quality. I hope that this will excite some design researchers to take NID as a topic of study and collate all the documentations into a format that can reveal the lessons from these experiences. I wrote a paper on exhibition and museum design as a reflection on the lessons from the NID experience for a Conference on Crafts Museums in 1986 and we have come a long way since then. Recently (last year) NID teams designed and executed "The Great Arc Exhibition" for the Surveyor General of India, an office that was celebrating the two hundredth year of the mapping of India and the Great Arc Survey, the first in the world, and the exhibit opened in the UK and is now back and ready to travel across India. I hope that my call to my faculty colleagues will give us more insights from real experience of design and execution of all the projects that we have collectively experienced in the unique NID pattern of the co-existance of education and design practice across many disciplines under one roof. The story is yet to be told. Any takers? I am quoting below my paper on exhibit and museum design from 1986 and those not interested can skip the last bit. With warm regards M P Ranjan from my office at NID 17 September 2005 at 1.25 pm IST Prof M P Ranjan Faculty of Design Head, NID Centre for Bamboo Applications Faculty Member on Governing Council (2003 - 2005) National Institute of Design Paldi Ahmedabad 380 007 India Tel: (off) 91 79 26639692 ext 1090 Tel: (res) 91 79 26610054 Fax: 91 79 26605242 email: [log in to unmask] web site: http://homepage.mac.com/ranjanmp/ Quoted text is a paper by M P Ranjan on Exhibit design at NID (the NID Way in 1986) Cost Effective Displays - The NID Experience M P Ranjan Faculty of Industrial Design National Institute of Design Ahmedabad, India Paper prepared and presented at Crafts India '86, a workshop on Crafts Museums, New Delhi, October 1986 and subsequently published in "Crafts India '86: Papers Presented at the Workshop on Crafts Museums", Crafts Council of India, New Delhi, 1986 - pp 125 - 129 My presentation on design and display techniques for museums is based entirely on the considerable body of knowledge built up at the National Institute of Design (NID) in the area of exhibition design. Over the past 25 years, designers at NID have had the opportunity to work on a large number of exhibition projects, both as professional consultancy assignments as well as student-level projects. These exhibitions include temporary and permanent ones covering thematic, scientific, and cultural and trade topics. I am convinced that much of this experience would be applicable to the design of craft and other museums, especially in the context of the changing role of museums in our times. NID is a design school composed of two major faculties: the Faculty of Industrial Design and the Faculty of Visual Communication. In many design schools these disciplines are kept apart. However, we found that exhibition projects offered the possibility of building cross-disciplinary bridges, as the design of any exhibition is essentially a multi-disciplinary task. Putting together an exhibition requires teamwork involving many disciplines, many of which are drawn from outside the Institute as circumstances warrant. This premise that design of exhibitions and the design of museums is a multi-disciplinary task is an important one for curators and museum administrators to keep in mind when planning new exhibits or museums. Sometimes experts in subjects attempt to put together exhibitions themselves, some may be able to do so effectively. I am of the view that the involvement of professional designers working in close collaboration with the subject experts is far more desirable although it may seem expensive initially. Demands made on museums and the public's perception of its role have undergone dramatic changes. Traditionally, museums were seen as a repository of rare and exquisite cultural, natural and historical artifacts primarily concerned with conservation, classification and research tasks. However most people would agree that today's museums should go beyond that role in becoming a vehicle for communication and dissemination of information in an interactive manner. Hence the added responsibility that the contemporary view holds for a museum includes education, entertainment and community service. Entertainment is important because it means involving the viewers and educating them through a mode of interaction. Without this element of interest it is impossible to communicate with viewers. Education too implies something more than transmission of knowledge. It means raising questions in the minds of viewers rather than providing all the answers in an absolute manner. Having established the premises on which we design exhibitions let me go on to individual principles, devices and techniques used to make an exhibition participatory and interesting to the viewer. These would of course have to be used in an imaginative and creative manner, appropriate to the task at hand, to be effective. Here I have attempted to abstract the principles from the variety of exhibits and displays incorporated in a number of NID exhibitions so that these could be used consciously to enhance the viewers experience. Interactive exhibits:Each key exhibit could be designed to induce the visitor to participate in some way other than just looking at or reading about the object or display. The visitors may be required to do something with their hands or even feet in order to activate another dimension of the display. A map of India displayed at the India Exhibitin the Commonwealth Institute, London, required the visitors to press a set of electronic switches in order to compare distances between Indian cities to cities in Europe. This helped the British audience to appreciate the vast distances in the Indian sub-continent when compared with familiar distances between capitals of European nations. Another such ,device is a display of rare and exotic musical instruments the sounds of which can be heard by activating a tape recorder. It is not necessary that technologically sophisticated displays be used, as simple devices could be equally effective while being easier to maintain. Spaces for interaction:Spaces around displays need to be planned in such a way as to permit the museum and its displays to be used in a variety of ways. It is particularly important to consider the activities that take place when groups of visitors come in to use the museum as a teaching resource. Both the Energy Exhibitiona science museum at the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi and the India Exhibitin London are used as classrooms by teachers who want to use its resources. Hence fairly large spaces need to be provided around exhibits along with strategically placed benches which encourage the use of these spaces. Display structures:Hardware used to display objects and information such as photographs and text must be designed to suit specific needs. In many cases it might be possible to use readily available hardware systems that are versatile and inconspicuous. In other cases it may be necessary to design hardware that would show up the object in the most favorable manner. Sringar, which was a traveling exhibition of Indian costumes required display cases and props that could be quickly dismantled and packaged in minimum volume of transportation. Similarly strong, light-weight and flexible panel structures were required to permit the exhibition to be set up in a variety of existing buildings, while still retaining its identity and quality. Graphic layouts:Some exhibits require the presentation of a considerable amount of supplementary and explanatory information especially if these are to be used as an educational aid. Here the graphic treatment of panels and surfaces presenting the information demands both visual coherence of all its components and the stimulation of the viewer to absorb the essentials in the limited time available. This has to be achieved with an effective and economic use of words and images. Invariably the same space has to serve both the casual visitor as well as the serious learner. This necessitates the presentation to be "readable" at several levels simultaneously. The first level is a predominantly visual one that can be appreciated instantly at a distance while subsequent levels elaborate appropriate details. Hence the components need to be structured in a hierarchical manner both in terms of their information content and their size in the layout. The components of such informative displays would include lead-visuals in the form of photographs, illustrations, charts or diagrams as well as supporting visuals in an appropriate media. Text matter that compliments the visuals needs to be carefully structured into evocative headings or titles, lead-text, sub-text and captions which an experienced copy-writer can make concise and interesting. Typography used in a sensitive and creative manner can be visually stimulating. A versatile grid is an effective tool in generating interesting layouts while maintaining visual continuity between a series of panels throughout the exhibition. It would permit the use of a large variety of sizes and proportions of visuals and text helping these to hang together. While a grid aids in the exploration of layouts the final layout would need to transcend a mechanical interpretation to avoid a sterile presentation. History walls:When a progression of events or developments through time are to be depicted history walls are the most effective means of modeling such patterns in time. Since this technique was first employed and refined by Charles Eames, the great American designer, numerous variations have been developed for a variety of themes. In principle a history wall, as the name suggests, is an expanse of wall that is graphically treated to depict the flow of time in the horizontal axis. The vertical axis is divided into bands, each of which traces one subject through time. For example, in the Nehru Exhibition, while one band deals with Nehru's life the other bands cover national and international political events, developments in science and technology, developments in fine and applied arts etc. Hence while the horizontal bands represent transition the vertical columns represent simultaneous events. While typography is used to highlight decades or centuries depending on the span of time depicted the treatment is predominantly visual. A great deal of visual research is a necessary prerequisite for the preparation of an effective history wall. Illustrations and Charts:Information translated into illustrations, diagrams and charts has far greater effectiveness than a great deal of text. There are a variety of styles and techniques to choose from, each with its potentials and limitations. Statistical data could be presented in the form of graphs, bar charts or pie charts to make it visually interesting and easily appreciated. Complex relationships could be modeled with flow-charts, diagrams or even electronically operated charts. Drawings and illustrations can be used effectively to highlight aspects that would be impossible to depict photographically such as the working principle of a tool or machine or the cross-section of an anthill. Choice of technique is determined by the resources, time and information available. Some elaborate techniques can be both expensive and time- consuming while others could be effective, yet inexpensive and simple to execute. Scale modes and principle models:Both children and adults enjoy examining detailed three-dimensional models and replicas. Specially constructed models have the advantage of being able to highlight specific features through the selective treatment of such features. Communication of a working principle or structural feature is effectively conveyed through appropriate types of models. A variety of model types could be employed depending on the theme or subject to be communicated. These could include block-models, cut-away models, see-through models, and realistic scale-models, working principle models, replicas and casts. These models could be executed in a variety of materials depending on the resources, skills and information available. Just as a carefully detailed and executed model can be breathtaking, shoddy one can have disastrous consequences. Hence if models are to be used they must be carefully designed and ski11fully executed. Treatment of surfaces and spaces:The mood of an exhibit is considerably enhanced by the manner in which the ambient surfaces and spaces are treated. One fairly inexpensive way to enliven surfaces and spaces is through the use of textiles. Plain or patterned fabrics stretched over panels or suspended from high ceilings add colour and vitality to the exhibition space and help set-off the exhibits. Careful choice of colour and texture helps in creating the desired effect. Both the Nehru Exhibitionand the Manipur Pavilionused this technique extensively each in its own way. Another type of surface treatment explored was the simulation of mud walls seen in village houses. The Agri-Expo theme pavilion used this technique extensively to re-create village spaces in full scale so that the audience could experience these-spaces, which were intended to heighten their perception of rural artifacts and motifs. Photographic blow-ups are yet another means of creating an illusion of space and detail. A series of related blow-ups is a powerful means of simulating spaces while providing a great deal of detail. These help to establish the context of scale within the space available inside exhibition halls. Dioramas:These form a special class of three-dimensional models. Dioramas are an effective means of creating an illusion or reality especially in depicting spaces with the use of very limited exhibition space. This is achieved by the exaggerated use of perspective distortion, which deceives the eye. Combined with photographic backdrops and controlled lighting the effect is a stunning recreation of reality. The interior of a village hut or an underground coalmine can be a realistic experience for an audience. Sound effects emanating from strategically placed speakers help enhance this effect. Dioramas are of two basic types: open-dioramas and peephole type dioramas. Open-dioramas created with the aid of foreground props and a photographic backdrop were used as settings for live craft demonstrations in the Manipur Pavilion at the trade fair in New Delhi. Illumination and mood lighting:The use of light in exhibition spaces is both functional and aesthetic. The functional aspects relate to ease of visibility by establishing suitable levels of illumination, avoiding distracting reflections and glare. Circulation spaces and information surfaces generally require a functional treatment. An altogether different dimension in the use of light is the creation of a certain mood or effect that is possible through sensitive and controlled use. Here professionals from theatre and cinema are by far the most competent. Such specialized lighting when used inside dioramas increases the illusion of reality manifold. Audio and Audio-visual:Sound effects and specially prepared sound tracks can be effective means of enhancing one's experience of specific exhibits. Sound is difficult to control unless confined to soundproof spaces or delivered through proximity speakers. Specially designed handsets or earphones located near key exhibits could be used to provide a sound track, a running commentary or discourse on that subject. The interest of an audience is generally aroused when such devices are made available result1ng in a heightening of awareness and a corresponding openness to receiving information. Audio-visual media which include changing still pictures, motion pictures and video images are powerful communication devices. A multi-screen audio-visual programme can transmit an enormous amount of information in a short duration. Such programmes are technically complex and expensive to execute and maintain. However no other media can replicate their effectiveness with reference to viewing time. Feedback from visitors:In a permanent exhibition or museum any attempt to obtain the views of visitors on what interested them and which exhibits held their attention will certainly provide indicators for=20 improvement of exhibits. Over a period of time a great deal of improvement can be made in the quality and effectiveness of exhibits as well as in the selection of display techniques to be used. Viewer feedback could be obtained both through questionnaires as well as through discrete observation of viewers as they move from exhibit to exhibit. The Design Process:The design and development of a new exhibition can be handled as a fairly systematic task. As I have stated earlier, this is essentially a multi-disciplinary exercise. The process begins with research and information collection on the subject matter of the exhibition. Once a fair degree of clarity emerges, the theme of the exhibition is articulated in the form of a preliminary concept for the whole exhibition. This is usually visually represented in a skeleton concept model, which would be arrived at through an exploration of alternative treatments. Such explorations are carried out for various levels of detail such as overall layout, detailing of sections, individual displays and panels. Final concept is frozen at this stage while individual exhibits are worked out to very fine levels of detail. Expensive or complex exhibits are tested through specially built mock-ups before major investments are made in their execution. Detailed plans, layouts and technical specifications are drawn up for each exhibit so that they could either is executed in-house or through contractors. These numerous iterations from experiment to specification are the central features of the design process. It is this systematic procedure that proves to be cost-effective in the long run. Note: Mr. Ranjan used slides to illustrate his talk. ~ UnQuote M P Ranjan 17 September 2005 at 1.20 pm IST