Exhibition Bingo!
I’ve had this theory that museums are made for other curators, not for visitors. And I found a way to test it!
Think about it, when you last visited a museum or exhibit was it really a well made presentation of some aspect of art or history? Or was it a random collection of stuff, poorly explained with little placards that said very little but using many words?
I’ve visited many exhibitions over the last 10 years, and I usually end up feeling like I need to go home and google the topic. Because I have no idea what I’m looking at or why, and I expect the exhibition to be interested in explaining that to me.
This is a pretty hard indictment of curators. But let’s not morally theorise about why this may or may not be the case, let’s treat it as an experiment!
Next time you go to an exhibition, play bingo with me and let’s see if curators are working to educate you, or if they’re navel gazing with their in-group.
Exhibition bingo rules
There are three boxes to check, if you get all three, you get a bingo! Bingo means the exhibition was not made for visitors.
- Narrative missing: Is a clear narrative thread that ties together all the pieces missing? (Should be obvious to the target audience, adults or kids) Check if missing!
- Context missing: Is there context missing for some pieces, or is each piece presented with a clear text and or voice track that describes why it’s there and what it means? Check if missing!
- Expensive gear: Is there an expensive installation (lights, 3d, movie, effect) that isn’t directly related to the subject?
If you check all three, BINGO, The exhibition is probably a grift!
I’m gonna do my first try of this in a few weeks and report back.