The Challenges of Managing Exhibitions in Museums: Preserving and Delighting the Public

Museum exhibitions have the power to captivate and educate the public, providing a unique and enriching experience. However, behind these memorable moments, there is a complex management work that faces several challenges. In this article, we will explore the challenges involved in managing exhibitions in museums and discuss the strategies needed to overcome them, preserving cultural heritage and delighting visitors.

• Planning and design: One of the first challenges in exhibition management is planning and design. This involves setting clear goals, carefully selecting the pieces to display, and creating an engaging narrative. In addition, it is necessary to consider the spatial arrangement, accessibility and visitor experience. Ensuring an attractive and cohesive exhibition requires a multidisciplinary team, including curators, designers, conservators and technology professionals.

Source: https://careerthoughts.com/curator-jobs/

• Conservation and safety: The conservation of the exhibits is a constant challenge. It is essential to ensure that artwork, historical artifacts and other items are adequately protected from physical damage, light, moisture and other environmental factors. In addition, security is paramount to prevent theft and vandalism. Advanced security systems such as surveillance cameras, access control and alarms must be implemented to ensure the protection of valuable parts.

• Operational approach: The logistics involved in setting up an exhibition is a significant challenge. Transporting, handling and installing parts safely and efficiently requires careful planning. Many times, works of art and historical artifacts are borrowed from other museums or collections, requiring extra care during transport. In addition, the assembly of the exhibition involves technical aspects, such as lighting, sound and proper arrangement of the pieces to provide an immersive and pleasant experience for visitors.

Source: https://www.clevelandart.org/magazine/2022-issue-3/meet-staff

• Audience Engagement: Attracting and engaging the public is a constant challenge in exhibition management. Museums need to consider creative strategies to make exhibitions interesting, interactive and accessible to all visitors. The use of technology such as mobile apps, virtual and augmented reality can enrich the experience by providing additional information and interactive activities. In addition, educational programs, guided tours and special events can increase engagement and appeal to different audiences.

Source: https://casavogue.globo.com/MostrasExpos/Arte/noticia/2019/08/exposicao-imersiva-de-van-gogh-e-inaugurada-em-sao-paulo.html

• Maintenance: After the exhibition opens, proper maintenance is essential to ensure the pieces remain in pristine condition. Constantly monitoring environmental conditions, carrying out a checklist for cleaning the space, equipment maintenance and safety inspections is essential to guarantee the safeguarding of the exhibited collection.

Do you want to go deeper into this topic and get to know in depth the entire operational approach for the correct management of exhibitions? In our new course "Exhibition Management", Prof. Carlos Jotta will teach practical methods for managing exhibitions. Meet Prof. Carlos Jotta in our welcome video to the course here:

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To know the program of this course and to enroll, click here: https://www.icrpachamama.com/challenge-page/0d8483c5-46cd-4909-918e-7bce61142afe