Storytelling Exhibitions

Storytelling Exhibitions describes the role and practice of modern ‘spatial storytellers’ and looks at the potential of exhibitions to shape our understanding of the world. It explains how curators, designers, artists and scientists combine to tell powerful stories through exhibition design. Exhibition designer and educator Philip Hughes shows how contemporary tools and technologies - digital reconstruction, 3D scanning and digital archives – interweave with traditional forms of informing, displaying and promoting to create powerful narrative spaces. Whether telling stories of politics, trends, society, war, science or history, Storytelling Exhibitions provides inspiration and guidance on designing installations which change the way we think. Examples included from:Te Papa, Wellington, New ZealandNational Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, USAWeltmuseum Wien, AustriaSanta Cruz Museum of Art and History, USLascaux: Centre International de l'Art Pariétal in Montignac, FranceStapferhaus, Lenzburg, SwitizerlandMicropia, Amsterdam, Netherlands…and many more

A timely and comprehensive publication, replete with ideas and exemplary work. It is timely because it unpacks and explores many of the extraordinary challenges that the 21st century needs to address, such as climate change and social justice.

Philip Hughes is an exhibition designer. Since graduating from the Royal College of Art in London, he has designed exhibitions for museums around the world, most recently for Ralph Appelbaum Associates. He has also taught design at a number of universities in the UK, where he lives and works.