Week 1: Preparation

Spend the first class session researching each designer, and determine which show you’d like to focus on. Depending on the classes preference, groups can be assigned or self-organized.

After you’ve defined your groups, nominate a group manager. There are several facets to creating an exhibition – from preparation and installation, to graphic identity, to curatorial decision-making. While everyone will participate in all aspects in some capacity (as designers or critics), you will self-organize to take on responsibilities. The team manager will help keep everyone organized and on task.

While there will be one overall manager, I'd like one to two people to take on each of the following:

Curatorial and Content
Identity Design and Communication
Spatial planning exhibition
Catalog and documentation

After you’ve chosen a manager, and taken on leads for sub-tasks, research as much as possible about your subjects. Organize visual, and textual information into a pareseable and shareable format.

Week 2: Conceptualization

Step 1: Research

Look at the material you have, read anything you can about the designer and/or the work. Ask yourself these questions:

What type of work does the designer do?
Where do they practice? Do they have a large or small studio? What processes/
What are themes or narratives that emerge about the designer? What is the work about? What is the subject matter?
What is unique about their work or the way they practice?
Why do you find the work interesting?
ETC...

Step 2: Formulate a Concept

For many curators this is the fun and creative part of the job. Through your research, determine an overall theme or narrative for your exhibition. What is the purpose of your exhibition: a survey show, a showcase of the designer’s process or experiments, a cross-cultural exchange, an illustration of a theme or topical issue? There are many possible approaches.

You will formulate multiple concepts for your show, and whittle them down to a single mission statement that will drive the exhibition.

Week 3: Refine Concept and Visualize

Step 1: Refine

You will pick a single direction from your three proposals You will then create the following:

A concise Mission Statement (this should include a title or working titles) that clearly explains your curatorial direction/concept. This should explain your exhibition’s narrative and what it hopes to achieve.
Begin a rough selection (a checklist) of work you want to show that illustrates your concept. Are you showing anything besides the artifacts you found online? If so, what are the pieces you need to find, create, commission?
Begin a dialogue with your subject. Start sending interview questions to your designer... dig, find out more about their practice and understand the work on a deeper level.

Step 2: Formalize your concept:

Create a floor plan and start mapping out how you might use the space.

Step 3: Start thinking about graphic identity, publicity and programming

This aspect is going to sneak up on you! Perhaps in your groups you should start discussing how graphic design should be used as a tool in your exhibition.

Week 4: Planning

Vinyl Costs for title and wall text

$125 straight black $140 color title (stock vinyl color) / with black text
Installation $20

Send file to printer 1 week before install.

A reminder of the deliverables for your exhibition:

The Exhibition

Wall Text (short text (your Mission statement) acting as an entry point to the exhibition/ produced as vinyl at entry of exhibition space)
Brochure (should include an interview or some kind of contextual information/this can be cheaply produced in multiples)
Display of work in the exhibition

Publicity

Poster or other form of invitation announcing your exhibition to CCA.

Presentation

Each group will give a short walkthrough of their exhibition at the beginning of the opening.
Opening / Refreshments?

Documentation (due at end of semester)

Each group will produce a catalog via, Blurb, Lulu or some other on demand service or alternatively screen-based documentation (a website). As you work think about documentation that could end up in your catalog.

Step 1: Make a work plan

Based on your Exhibition dates, make a precise plan with deadlines for your materials. Since you all have staggered exhibitions your deadlines will all be different for here on out. Also, please work out a budget for what you plan to do, again this budget should be shared evenly between your group members.

Below is a general critique structure that I will follow for every exhibition in the 2 weeks prior to the exhibi- tion opening.

2 weeks before opening
Tues Class / Review Graphic Identity / Finalize Mission Statement (wall text)
Thurs Class / Review Installation Concept
Fri / Send Final PDF to vinyl maker

1 week before opening
Tues Class / Review FINAL Signage / Publicity Applications
Thurs Class / Review Brochure
Fri / Post Publicity around campus

Week of opening
Tues Class / Installation
Thurs Class / Opening

Step 2: The space

Once you have determined a solid narrative for your exhibition, use a floor plan and start mapping out the layout of the exhibition. How does your narrative get visualized in space? How do you organize what goes where? What is the level of mediation? What needs to be explained? What can remain ambiguous? Who is your audience? What is their literacy level within your narrative or subject matter? All these questions can help guide you toward a more specific exhibition form.

Some curators build 3D models of the gallery space and artworks, while others use a simple floor plan. Determine the best working method for your group given the space, subject, and your technical abilities.

The exhibitions schedules are as follows:

E Roon Kang
Feb 28 – Mar 7

Folder Studio
Mar 14 – 21

The Rodina
Apr 11 – 18