Advanced Studio Elective: Exhibition Design

California College of the Arts
Spring 2019

T/Tr
12-3pm
Rm: N11

Instructor:
chris hamamoto

Teaching Assistant:
Juan Pablo Rahal Soto

Additional Assistance:
Ivan Chen

Collaborators:
E Roon Kang
Folder Studio
The Rodina
Letterform Archive
Amelia Grounds
Kate Goad
Rachel Berger
Kimberly Macdonald
Jon Sueda
Aaron Kissman
Mike Scaringe
Robert Kett
Ben Shaykin
Omar Mohammad
Josh Stulen
 This Course will focus on introducing the activity of exhibition making to the undergraduate graphic design program. The course will offer both practical and conceptual approaches for creating exhibitions, and will include: organizing an ongoing exhibition, curating objects for a show, strategies of display, installation, graphic identity and documentation. We will grapple with the issue of how to exhibit graphic design!

The goal of the class is to program a series of exhibitions – culminating in a group show in the Hubbell Street Galleries at the end of the semester, and to create a satellite gallery space for the Letterform Archive (as a vitrine and series of tabletop exhibitions) in the graphic design studio space. We will be programming exhibition openings, presentations, and other activities that highlight our activities in a very public and visible way. This class will be very team oriented and everyone will be part of a group who is in charge of an exhibition – one way to think of it as the studio for the afformenetioned gallery spaces. Rarely in a graphic design practice do you do everything yourself... you are always part of a team, so this class will be a good primer for your future as a professional designer.

In addition to publicizing our work, we’ll also consider documenting and circulating it. each exhibition will have a catalog, online and/or in print, and we will have an end of semester collective publication.

This class will function very much like a workshop and design studio. In the first 4 weeks of class, we’ll workshop our point-of-view as designers and curators, working in small groups to define a concept for a show with a guest designer. Then for the rest of the semester, we’ll function as a studio – actualizing your proposals as an entire class with different groups leading the initiative. You’ll be tasked with being independent and managing your own time – working on different timelines, with outside vendors, and presenting your group’s work to the rest of the class to get feedback and push your projects further.

In summary the semester will explore the dual idea of creating a narrative for a particular designer/studio and considering how to visually present it within an exhibition context.

Spring Exhibition Series: Interface

As an ongoing project this semester, we’ll curate, design, and promote a series of exhibitions in the MFA Graduate Building Atrium Gallery, culminating in a final group show (based on the semesters shows) in the Hubbell Street Galleries.

The theme of this semester’s exhibitions are (loosely) ‘interface’. We’ve confirmed 3 designers/design studios with unique approaches to the idea whose work will serve as the semesters subjects. They are: The Rodina, E Roon Kang, and Folder Studio.

The Rodina
Personal Website
Action to Surface
Performative Design Lecture
Folder Studio
Personal Website
Walker Art Center Interview
E Roon Kang
Personal Website
TEDxCarnegieLake Talk

As small groups of ~5, each group will work with one of these designers to define their shows concept, works, and title. You will then design the space and identity for the show, build and install the exhibition, and promote it. You will have limited access to your subject – amounting to one interview over Skype or email, and communications to digitally transmit files to be exhibited. As such, you will need to do a lot of preparation before speaking to your designer in order to make that exchange as fruitful as possible.

At the end of the semester a group show, to which we’ll all contribute, will feature these 3 designers/design studios works, as well as a broader set of contributors we invite. It will be the task of the class to create a more precise framing of the exhibition series, as well as create, promote, and document this group show.

Each group will be responsible for the following:

  1. The Exhibition
  2. Publicity
  3. Presentation
  4. Documentation (due at end of semester)

The exhibitions schedules are as follows:

E Roon Kang
Feb 28 – Mar 7

Folder Studio
Mar 14 – 21

The Rodina
Apr 11 – 18

Since the shows are staggered, groups will be on different timelines. As a result, you will need to be organized, and self-sufficient at moving your work forward in a manner that ensures its success. However, we will all spend the first 4 weeks operating as a workshop and conducting research – preparing our exhibitions regardless of their timing.

View workshop outline

GD Studio Gallery / Letterform Archive Outpost

This semester we will also work to establish a gallery space and outpost of the Letterform Archive in the CCA Graphic Design Studio. Materially, this will take the form of a vitrine located in the GD Studio, but will also manifest as knowledge production, the production of ephemera, and exhibitions.

We will work to brand and promote this space within the GD Studio as the ‘Graphic Design Gallery’, while curating and installing 3 tabletop exhibitions there in collaboration with Letterform Archive. You will work in student groups, along with the librarian’s at Letterform Archive, to curate, design, promote, and install one tabletop exhibition drawn from LFA’s collection.

Site of the future CCA GD Gallery

Each group will be responsible for the following:

  1. The Exhibition
  2. Publicity
  3. Documentation (due at end of semester)

The exhibitions schedules are as follows:

GD Studio / LFA Show 1
Feb 21 – Mar 5

GD Studio / LFA Show 2
Mar 7 – 19

GD Studio / LFA Show 3
Apr 18 – Apr 30

Since the shows are staggered, groups will be on different timelines. As a result, you will need to be organized, and self-sufficient at moving your work forward in a manner that ensures its success. However, we will all spend the first 4 weeks operating as a workshop and conducting research – preparing our exhibitions regardless of their timing.

View studio gallery outline

Schedule

E Roon Kang
Feb 28 – Mar 7

Folder Studio
Mar 14 – 21

The Rodina
Apr 11 – 18

GD Studio / LFA Show 1
Mar 5 – Mar 14

GD Studio / LFA Show 2
Apr 9 – 18

GD Studio / LFA Show 3
Apr 23 – May 2

Group exhibition at Hubbell Street Galleries
Apr 28 – May 3

References

Readings

Lectures

Designers

Resources

Credits

This class is based in-part on currciulum developed by Jon Sueda. It is supported by Rachel Berger, Sara Raffo, and Kate MacDonald. This class would not be possible were it not for their, and all other participants, contributions.