What does an exhibition designer do?
An exhibition designer shapes how visitors move through and experience an exhibition. That covers the layout of the gallery, the walls and structures, lighting, graphics and the way they all fit around the objects, from the first concept through installation.
The main parts of the job
Space and sequence: where visitors enter, what they see first, how groups of objects relate and where they can pause. Structures and walls: what gets built, what gets painted, what stays as it is. Lighting: what is emphasized and what recedes. Graphics: the text, type and imagery that explain and unify the show. Production: drawings and specifications so fabricators and installers can build what was designed.
Working with the museum team
Exhibition designers work alongside curators, educators, registrars, preparators and fabricators. The curator decides what the exhibition says. The designer decides how it is experienced, and works with the rest of the team to make it buildable.
How we work
OBJECT—STUDIO is a small studio. The person in the first meeting is the one drawing the plans, setting the type and on site at install. Evan Cotgageorge has worked for years beside the in-house teams at the Denver Art Museum and BMoCA, and brings collaborators and fabrication partners in as each project requires.
In our work
- Have a Seat: Mexican Chair Design Today
- Simphiwe Ndzube: Oracles of the Pink Universe
- YALLA: You’ll Never Walk Alone