Curating for bio-based materials: Improving audience engagement in exhibitions

Abstract

Bio-based material design is an emerging practice in which designers develop materials from biological sources, often with the aim of developing sustainable alternatives. Through bio-based materials, designers attempt to influence the conventional material system from the bottom up. To share their experiment outcomes, designers present a diversity of bio-based materials in design exhibitions and disseminate the importance and necessity of bio-based materials to the public.

In this thesis, I examine the curation of bio-based materials with a specific focus on audience engagement in exhibitions. I investigate the needs and challenges of bio-based material exhibitions and the approaches that can improve communication with the audience so that they become aware of and support the development and use of bio-based materials.

The research includes three case studies on different types of exhibitions: an interdisciplinary course presentation, a microbiology museum and a temporary bio-based material pavilion to explore a breadth of curatorial approaches. Through in-person visits and semi-structured interviews with the exhibition designers and personnel, I analyse the exhibitions based on the elements that are associated with audience engagement, which are space arrangement, content, presentation media and activities.

The research findings provide a variety of curatorial strategies that may increase audience engagement. These strategies include establishing relevance to the audience, considering material types, employing a diversity of media, providing a clear introduction, developing a storyline and offering multiple layers of experience and knowledge. Other approaches such as incorporating tactile experience, including space as part of the exhibition, letting the subject speak for itself, sharing processes and findings, and considering the relationship between exhibition and audience have also been identified. These strategies have been applied to an exhibition proposal that combines the best approaches from the cases to engage the audience in bio-based material design.

This thesis studies the interconnection between bio-based material presentation and audience engagement. It aims to contribute to the growing area of bio-based material design by exploring curatorial approaches that can engage the audience with bio-based materials and encourage dialogue on the future use of bio-based materials.