Travelling exhibition
Encyclopedia
A travelling exhibition, also referred to as a "travelling exhibit" or a "touring exhibition", is a type of exhibition
that is available for circulation to one or more venues in addition to the premises of the organiser.
Temporary exhibitions can bring together objects that might be dispersed amongst several collections, to reconstruct an original context such as an artist’s career or a patron's collection, or to propose connections - perhaps the result of recent research - which give new insights or a different way of understanding items in museum collections. The whole exhibition
, usually with associated services - insurance, shipping, storage, conservation, mounting, set up, etc. - can then be loaned to one or more venues, to lengthen the life of the exhibition and to allow the widest possible audiences - regionally, nationally or internationally - to experience these objects and the stories they contain. Such collaborations can add interest to museums where displays of permanent collections might change only slowly, helping to provide fresh interpretations or more complete stories and attract new audiences. They also provide fresh ideas and breathing space for organisations which have exhibition spaces but lack permanent collections.
To have more than one location for the same exhibition can benefit the organiser because it can then share a part of the production costs amongst the venues, so museums and galleries
frequently use touring as a cost-efficient way of promoting access to their collections. For organisers and their venues, touring exhibitions are important for sharing ideas (for example, promoting techniques for providing for visitors with visual impairments or producing displays which examine current or topical issues) and materials (especially objects that might not be seen in public frequently or even shown together), as well as resources (human as well as financial). Touring is a way of sharing with like-minded institutions and of achieving economies of scale which allow more ambitious projects to happen.
Travelling exhibitions are usually supported by governmental organizations for the diffusion of knowledge and local cultures. As the acknowledgement of the importance of travelling exhibitions, the International Council of Museums
(ICOM) established the International Committee for Exhibition Exchange
(ICEE) in 1983, as a forum for many different aspects of exhibitions development, circulation and exchange.
Art exhibition
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...
that is available for circulation to one or more venues in addition to the premises of the organiser.
Temporary exhibitions can bring together objects that might be dispersed amongst several collections, to reconstruct an original context such as an artist’s career or a patron's collection, or to propose connections - perhaps the result of recent research - which give new insights or a different way of understanding items in museum collections. The whole exhibition
Art exhibition
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...
, usually with associated services - insurance, shipping, storage, conservation, mounting, set up, etc. - can then be loaned to one or more venues, to lengthen the life of the exhibition and to allow the widest possible audiences - regionally, nationally or internationally - to experience these objects and the stories they contain. Such collaborations can add interest to museums where displays of permanent collections might change only slowly, helping to provide fresh interpretations or more complete stories and attract new audiences. They also provide fresh ideas and breathing space for organisations which have exhibition spaces but lack permanent collections.
To have more than one location for the same exhibition can benefit the organiser because it can then share a part of the production costs amongst the venues, so museums and galleries
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
frequently use touring as a cost-efficient way of promoting access to their collections. For organisers and their venues, touring exhibitions are important for sharing ideas (for example, promoting techniques for providing for visitors with visual impairments or producing displays which examine current or topical issues) and materials (especially objects that might not be seen in public frequently or even shown together), as well as resources (human as well as financial). Touring is a way of sharing with like-minded institutions and of achieving economies of scale which allow more ambitious projects to happen.
Travelling exhibitions are usually supported by governmental organizations for the diffusion of knowledge and local cultures. As the acknowledgement of the importance of travelling exhibitions, the International Council of Museums
International Council of Museums
The International Council of Museums is an international organization of museums and museum professionals that is committed to the conservation, continuation and communication to society of the world's natural and cultural heritage, present and future, tangible and intangible.- Overview :Created...
(ICOM) established the International Committee for Exhibition Exchange
International Committee for Exhibition Exchange
The International Committee for Exhibition Exchange is a committee of the International Council of Museums . It is a nongovernmental organization with formal relations to the UNESCO and functions as a forum for the dissemination of knowledge and experience about exhibitions.The committee deals...
(ICEE) in 1983, as a forum for many different aspects of exhibitions development, circulation and exchange.
See also
- Art exhibitionArt exhibitionArt exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...
- Body WorldsBody WorldsBody Worlds is a traveling exhibition of preserved human bodies and body parts that are prepared using a technique called plastination to reveal inner anatomical structures...
- National Touring ExhibitionsNational Touring ExhibitionsNational Touring Exhibitions is a programme managed and funded by the Arts Council England that it aims to provide access to high-quality contemporary and historical travelling exhibitions throughout the UK. The programme organises 2-3 major art exhibitions a year and has a further dozen that...
- Museums AssociationMuseums AssociationThe Museums Association is a professional organisation based in London for museum professionals and museums in the United Kingdom.The association is the oldest museum association in the world and was started in 1889 by a small group of museums to protect the interests of museums and galleries...
- Touring Exhibitions GroupTouring Exhibitions GroupThe Touring Exhibitions Group is a professional membership association in the United Kingdom. Its members are mainly staff in museums, galleries and other public sector organisations who are involved in the exchange of exhibitions, whether as organisers or venues . It was set up in 1985, following...
- Walking with DinosaursWalking with DinosaursWalking with Dinosaurs is a six-part documentary television miniseries that was produced by BBC, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, and first aired in the United Kingdom, in 1999. The series was subsequently aired in North America on the Discovery Channel in 2000, with Branagh's voice replaced with that...
External links
- American Museum of Natural History Traveling Programs, US-based nonprofit organization
- ArtVision Exhibitions, LLC Traveling Exhibitions & Archives, US-based organization
- California Exhibition Resources Alliance, US-based nonprofit organization
- Curatorial Assistance Traveling Exhibitions, US-based nonprofit organization
- Grande Exhibitions - Creators of travelling exhibitions, international organisation
- iCI, US-based nonprofit organization
- International Arts & Artists, US-based nonprofit organization
- International Exhibitions Marketplace WebArtEx
- Landau Traveling Exhibitions USA
- Museumspartner Creator of travelling exhibitions
- Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service USA
- Swedish Travelling Exhibitions Swedish Government organisation
- Touring Exhibitions Group, UK-based membership organisation.
- Ideas Touring Exhibitions, UK-based creator of travelling exhibitions.