Description
Book SynopsisWhy do people go to exhibitions, and what do they hope to gain from the experience? What would happen if people were encouraged to move freely through exhibition spaces, take photographs and be playful?In this book, Inge Daniels explores what might happen if people and objects were freed from the regulations currently associated with going to an exhibition. Traditional understandings of exhibitions place the viewers in a one-way communication form, where the exhibition and those behind its creation inform their audiences. However, motivations behind exhibition-going are multiple and complex and frequently the intentions of curators do not match the expectations of their visitors. Based on an in-depth ethnographic examination of the processes involved in the making and reception of one particular exhibition-experiment as well as a study that follows 'freed' objects into their new homes, this publication not only sheds light on what exhibitions are, but also what they could become in t
Trade ReviewThe text and illustration of this book are attractive, even beautiful. The writing is very clear, and the material on the variety of visitors and their responses is both original and rich. * George E. Marcus, University of California, Irvine, USA *
Given that exhibitions are such a constant presence in our contemporary world, it is surprising how rarely we concern ourselves with what they actually do. But Inge Daniels, a thoughtful, scholarly and responsible anthropologist, asked - what are the consequences of an exhibition? If we provide more opportunities for interaction, and more fully engage the senses of our visitors, what then will they take away from this experience? The major contribution of this book is to show how anthropology itself, when astutely deployed, can provide a means to answer fundamental questions that apply to all exhibitions. * Daniel Miller, UCL, UK *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction: What Are Exhibitions For? SPREAD 1: The AHJ booklet: A practical tool to study exhibition visitors Chapter 1. Representational and Performative Knowledge SPREAD 2: Mike - 'There is a connecting memory in my feet' Chapter 2. Photography, Exhibition Design and Atmosphere SPREAD 3: Sue - 'Photography students have been very surprised to learn that what appears to be an actual window is in fact an illusion' Chapter 3. Similarities and Stereotypes SPREAD 4: Jen - 'I was very interested in anime and manga' Chapter 4. To Learn or Not to Learn SPREAD 5: Natasha - 'And I have been putting them in the dishwasher' SPREAD 6: Natalia - 'It's in our shower because it's very useful; Molly - 'It is something I found and can't give away' Chapter 5. Photography, Performance and Play SPREAD 7: Ali - 'I never found England a very interesting place' Conclusion: Exhibitions as Technologies of the Imagination? Notes References
