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Regular version of the site

Exhibition Activity

2019/2020
Academic Year
ENG
Instruction in English
4
ECTS credits
Delivered at:
School of History
Course type:
Compulsory course
When:
2 year, 3 module

Instructor

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course “Exhibition Activity” introduces the principles and practices of exhibition and display planning and management. During the course key areas of exhibition management are taught, such as planning new display and exhibitions, display and exhibition design and production, the issues around object handling, movement, packing, and risk assessment, as well as presentation techniques: audio-visual and interactives. The course provides training in a range of practical skills as well as encouraging critical thinking in relation to exhibition and display practices. The course offers a set of lectures and seminars that allow students to develop a basic practical and theoretical understanding of the current exhibit practice. The course “Exhibition Activity” introduces the principles and practices of exhibition and display planning and management. The aim of this course is to provide students a broad and challenging introduction to the practical and theoretical issues of contemporary museum and gallery exhibition practice in an international context; to encourage students to develop critical awareness in relation to museums, galleries and biennales; to introduce students to the key areas of cultural heritage including theoretical principles, collections management, museum, gallery and site management, exhibition development, education and emerging digital technologies.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • Developing students’ writing and analytical competencies through assignments designed around specific writing and speaking activities that gradually lead students to the final production of the analysis.
  • Developing students’ oral and communication skills.
  • Develop students’ critical thinking related to exhibitions' assessment
  • Developing ability to apply fundamental museum management terminology.
  • Developing students’ research and methodology skills through portfolio assignments.
  • Developing an understanding of purpose and function of museum, the ability to analyze its functions, programs, achievements.
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • To be able to understand the changing role, function and organization of art and heritage organizations in society.
  • To know documentation, related to collections management systems, preventive conservation, environmental monitoring, risk management, security issues, storage and loans management
  • To know the methods developed by museums, collections and archives for safe interaction with objects
  • To learn how to manage and fill in different types of documentation: object catalogues, accession registers, and procedural documentation (such as loan forms).
  • To know popular computer‐based Collections Management Systems.
  • To understand large scale project management principles and practice of heritage interpretation.
  • To understand the educational role of the museum, gallery and heritage site within the community.
  • To understand the role of interactives and interactivity in exhibition spaces.
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Introduction.
    Principles of museum and gallery practice. History and theory of museum and gallery development and the formation of their collections. The changing role, function and organization of art and heritage organizations in society.
  • General introduction to collections care and management.
    Managing museums and gallery collections: documentation, collections management systems, preventive conservation, environmental monitoring, risk management, security issues, storage and loans management
  • Introduction to the accreditation/registration process.
    Acquisition and lifecycle of a museum object. The management of information about collections. Different types of documentation: object catalogues, accession registers, and procedural documentation (such as loan forms).
  • Practicalities of documentation within a museum environment.
    Popular computer‐based Collections Management Systems. Main environmental factors affecting collections - light, relative humidity, pollutants, pests, temperature, and security. Security and emergency planning. Innovative display and outreach techniques.
  • The issues around object handling, movement, packing and risk assessment.
    Best practice in the area of collections management and care. The methods developed by museums, collections and archives for safe interaction with objects
  • Managing museums and cultural heritage.
    International, national and local role of heritage sites, museums and galleries. Large scale project management principles and practice. Heritage interpretation. Museum methods of communication and interpretation. Exhibition design.
  • Education, outreach and community engagement.
    School and adult education and learning in the museum. Educational role of the museum, gallery and heritage site within the community. Methods of working with objects in a learning environment.
  • Digital heritage. Critical and theoretical study of the role of digital media in museums and galleries.
    Information and communication technologies from a museological point of view. Digital heritage policies and strategies in the context of the information society; the online version of the museum; the role of interactives and interactivity in exhibition spaces; the use of mobile media and social software.
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking In-class participation
  • non-blocking In-class test
  • non-blocking Presentation
  • non-blocking Final Exam
  • non-blocking Home work
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • Interim assessment (3 module)
    0.4 * Final Exam + 0.24 * In-class participation + 0.24 * In-class test + 0.12 * Presentation
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Ambrose, T., & Paine, C. (2012). Museum Basics (Vol. 3rd ed). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=nlebk&AN=463323
  • Piacente, M., & Lord, B. (2014). Manual of Museum Exhibitions (Vol. Second edition). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=nlebk&AN=759389

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • Bogdanov, A. V., & Smirnov, V. A. (2019). Why It Is Necessary to Revise the Standards of Exhibition Lighting. Light & Engineering, 27(4), 5–10. https://doi.org/10.33383/2018-145
  • Johnson, A., Huber, K. A., Cutler, N., Bingmann, M., & Grove, T. (2017). The Museum Educator’s Manual : Educators Share Successful Techniques (Vol. Second edition). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=nlebk&AN=1545635
  • Peter Bjerregaard. (2019). Exhibitions As Research : Experimental Methods in Museums. [N.p.]: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1769606