Crafting the Perfect Canvas: The Role and Evolution of Exhibition Walls in Art Spaces
Since the 17th century art collectors have used art spaces in royal residences and other buildings to exhibit visual art. During that time the first state-sponsored exhibition was also arranged on behalf of Louis XIV. French individual artists also started exhibiting on the walls of more public spaces at about the same time. These exhibition spaces became known as Salons. Over time, this practice developed into the creation of large art galleries. In this article, we’ll look at the exhibition wall evolution from the early centuries to today’s temporary exhibition walls.
Short history
The 17th-century Salons used the walls of available spaces, and the organisers hung artwork on them from the ceiling to the floor. Different sizes, themes, and textures were not taken into consideration. The aim of putting art on the walls was to create a place where art lovers and other academically minded people could meet and discuss the art of the day.
For centuries, the popular way to exhibit art pictures was to hang as many as you could on the available walls. During the first half of the 20th century, however, the acceptable practice was to exhibit artworks in one single row on eye level on white walls. From the middle 1900s exhibition styles have gone through an evolution. Curators moved away from only covering existing walls with works of art and started to create thematically curated art spaces. The development of temporary exhibition walls played an immense role in this change.
Temporary exhibition walls
Broadly speaking, there are two main groups of temporary exhibition wall customers.
- One group needs temporary exhibition walls on a permanent basis, where “temporary” only means the walls were not originally part of the building’s construction.
- The other group usually hires exhibition equipment when needed for a specific exhibition.
Group 1 – permanent users of temporary exhibition walls
Gallery curators use the walls permanently to manage the gallery’s space, with the ultimate aim of enhancing visitors’ experiences. They also use temporary exhibition walls to control acoustics in the art space.
Gallery owners can also affix modern rails, hanging equipment, and lighting to the temporary walls to make it easy to rearrange the artworks on them. The extra space provided by temporary exhibition walls ended uninteresting, linearly hung exhibitions in art galleries, and curators can now exhibit thematic groups.
Private art collectors can also use temporary walls to enlarge their exhibition space. In many instances, these temporary walls also become a permanent part of the collector’s art space.
Group 2 – usually hiring exhibition walls
Exhibition installers use temporary exhibition walls when the need extra space to compile an exhibition, or when no permanent walls are available in the art space. On the other hand, temporary walls can transform a large open area into smaller sections.
Usually, because the exhibition is a one-time event, installers engage with temporary exhibition wall hire companies. They can either only hire the walls and do the installation themselves, or use the company’s professional picture installation service. Many reputable companies are providing temporary walls in Australia for hire. Usually, these companies also offer the possibility of doing the installation for the client.
Pop-up displays
A relatively new development in the field of temporary exhibition walls is the pop-up display walls. These walls are an alternative for exhibitors if they don’t want to spend a lot of money on solid temporary walls to just throw them away after a one-off exhibition. Pop-up walls are designed for installers and DIY enthusiasts to easily assemble and dismantle the walls. Once the exhibition is over, the installer can either store the compact and light dismantled panels or transport them to another venue to create the same or another exhibition.
In short the panels are reusable and pay for themselves over time. The pop-up system is an alternative to temporary exhibition walls for hire. Although they are actually meant to create stalls at exhibition venues, they can also be used as temporary exhibition walls.
Conclusion
Temporary exhibition walls are most often part of any exhibition, whether in a large gallery or museum or in a private residence of an art collector. Their greatest influence is that they enlarge the art space and provide space for exhibiting artworks thematically and in groups.