Exhibition Studies

Between Space & Place, December, 2000, Exhibition at 1926 Exhibition Studies Space

Exhibitions and their related programs are the mechanism by which art is presented and interpreted to the public; they are the primary means by which these objects, projects, and events move from the private realm into the public sphere. They therefore exist in a place of continual and important tension in which questions of history, scholarship, connoisseurship, education, preservation and administration all converge and become inseparable aspects of a single whole. The SAIC course offerings in the area of Exhibition Studies are therefore developed and sponsored by a variety of departments in the school, to reflect these converging perspectives.

Exhibition Studies Mission Statement

Exhibition Studies is an interdisciplinary area of the SAIC Graduate curriculum. It exists to encourage and foster cross-disciplinary work by students focused on the presentation and interpretation of art works and events. 1926 Exhibition Studies Space is the learning laboratory in which this work is realized.

Important features of this area include:

• a willingness to rethink the fundamental ideas of what an exhibition is, in order to develop new forms which have the flexibility and currency to respond to the full complexity of contemporary art-making activity and the social environments in which art can be a presence;
• a definition of "exhibition" that is extremely broad, including activities in non-traditional facilities/locations and addressing both specialist and non-specialist publics;
• an equal interest in object-based and non-object forms of art making, including web art and design, and time-based forms such as film, video, and performance;
• an emphasis on the process of exhibition-making as collaborative, rather than as an activity undertaken by specialists working in isolation from each other;
• a commitment to working closely, and on an ongoing basis, with artists to make and interpret exhibitions;
• an orientation that is simultaneously pointed toward Chicago and its needs and resources as a cultural home, and toward international and global issues and production in contemporary art.

opening performance for CODE March 29, 2002, 1926 Exhibition Studies Space

Exhibition brochures, catalogs, and cd-roms are regularly produced to support these projects. Course work in Exhibition Studies allows students to develop individual programs of study that concentrate on the array of activities associated with presenting art. While Exhibition Studies is not a separate degree, students in all graduate departments may utilize their electives and relevant required courses to create a specialized Exhibition Studies track within their specific curriculum. In addition, all MFA students may enroll in Exhibition Studies courses. To see a sample of course titles for Exhibition Studies, see Exhibition Studies Course "Menu."

For more information about Exhibition Studies, contact the Administrative Director at 312.899-7470 or exhibitionstudies@artic.edu.