Within the context of exhibitions display basically refers to everything apart from the shown art works themselves: the scenography of the space, the pedestal and picture frame, the hanging of the works, the labels on the wall. Other framing features are part of the overall display too, which is much more than an exhibition architecture and therefore also touches issues of mediation. This turns the display into a feature for reflecting on the tasks of art, exhibitions and art institutions. Starting from historical exhibition designs, the seminar is dedicated to the various elements of the display, and discusses where it starts and ends. What is part of the artwork, what is part of the display? What opportunities has an institution like Kunsthalle Wien to present its exhibitions? Where are the potentials still to be discovered?
Vanessa Joan Müller is an art historian, curator, and writer. She is Head of Dramaturgy at Kunsthalle Wien. In 2011/2012 she was an associate lecturer at the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Karlsruhe in the department “Exhibition Design and Curatorial Practice.”
The seminars of Kunsthalle Wien offer an in-depth exploration of contemporary art and the issues and queries connected with it. They are developed in close collaboration with the artists involved in the exhibitions at Kunsthalle Wien and other experts in contemporary art. Each seminar examines a different subject, which constitutes a combination of each instructor’s interests and research fields. Theory and practice, analysis and the independent realization of one’s own ideas are given equal importance in these two-day events. The number of participants is limited to a maximum of 15. If you are interested, please register at Kunsthalle Wien’s art education department.