Transforming Art Exhibitions: Innovative Solutions for Dynamic Gallery Spaces

Art galleries need people to visit them recurrently. To achieve this, they have to implement creative exhibit design ideas continuously. In this article, we discuss how dynamic “out of the box” ideas can enhance a visitor’s experience of the art exhibited in a gallery. We’ll first discuss how digital curation can enhance visitors’ experience, and then look at a few other ideas to transform art exhibitions.

Digital curation

To modernise art galleries, curators have started to use digital curation solutions. Digital curation is reshaping art galleries. The following three aspects are becoming the most utilised electronic aspects in art galleries:

1. Interactive displays

To make exhibitions more dynamic, interactive kiosks can be used to entice people to find out more about the exhibited artworks and the artists. Visitors get really involved with the work and the artist. The result is a better understanding of the work and the genre.

2. Digital catalogues

Art galleries can “advertise” themselves by making some of the artwork electronically available outside the galleries as well. This is possible by maintaining electronic records of the exhibitions and publishing the records online.

The result of this is that people become enticed to see more art. When visiting the gallery, they will already have an idea of what they want to look for.

3. Virtual and augmented reality

Curators can incorporate the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) into their designs. VT and AR transform passive viewing into engaging experiences.

Digital exhibit design examples and benefits

Examples

There are art museums that have successfully transformed some of their exhibitions using digital curation. The Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, for instance, used AR with its “Roppongi Crossing” exhibition. The museum enabled visitors to receive exhibition contextual information via their smartphones. Another example is the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It has developed a comprehensive electronic catalogue offering in-depth insights into its collections.

Benefits

The benefits of digital curation include the following:

• Because visitors have enhanced experiences, the results are usually that they stay longer, come back repeatedly, and give word-of-mouth recommendations to friends and other art lovers.
• Galleries reach a broader audience and often attract interest from art lovers worldwide.
• By using digital systems, it becomes easier for galleries to effectively organise their exhibitions and change exhibition themes to keep it interesting for people to come back.

Non-digital innovative ideas

There are also non-electronic ways to successfully transform art exhibition spaces.

Utilise high ceilings

If the space has a high ceiling, it gives the curator the possibility of hanging large works such as tapestries and mats from the ceiling. This is a creative way of breaking away from the traditional way of exhibiting everything at eye level.

Curators can also use articles hanging from the ceiling to emphasise the theme of the exhibition or specific parts of the exhibition. If, for instance, the theme is about indigenous art around the world, large hanging pictures of people busy creating artwork will emphasise the theme and give the gallery visitors a better understanding of the exhibited artwork.

Colours

Traditionally, gallery walls and removable walls are painted white. If sections of these walls are in other colours the artwork on them will attract attention and people will most probably remember the works exhibited on a coloured background better. Artworks “asking” for a white background can still be hung on a white wall, but the empty space between the artworks can be painted another colour. Colours such as red, orange and yellow add liveliness to a wall.

Create space for small groups to discuss the works

Traditionally, most art galleries don’t have space for small study groups to sit down and discuss an artwork while looking at it, without disturbing other visitors. Curators can create small cubicles with see-through walls where a handful of people can gather to softly discuss the artworks visible from the cubicle, without disturbing other gallery visitors.

Use podiums

If the curator wants particular artworks to be emphasised, these works can be exhibited on podiums to catch the attention of the visitors. It can be a podium only accommodating the artwork, but it can also be a larger podium “inviting” visitors to get onto it to see the artwork better.

Add plants

Art curators very seldom use plants and flowers to make an exhibition “softer”. Plants, just like the use of colour, have an inviting influence on visitors. Many curators are afraid to use plants because they think it may take the emphasis away from the artworks. But if the plants are incorporated into the creative exhibit design they will blend in and enhance a visitor’s experience. Well-chosen plants let visitors unconsciously feel welcome. In many instances, people who do not frequently visit art museums will come back to a “green” gallery because of the welcoming feeling they had the previous time.

Conclusion

The implementation of digital curation solutions in art galleries is more than just a trend. In a world where virtual communication is expanding, it has become a necessity to use digital methods to entice people to visit art galleries. However, apart from the digital aspects, curators must also transform the physical exhibition space to convince first visitors to become regulars.