How do you make an exhibition?

“We used to have a permanent display, but we decided to change that a few years ago. We thought: our collection contains so many stories and it is a shame that so many of them are not getting told. Instead of having specific pieces on display all the time, we should organize changing, thematic exhibitions – we call them collection presentations. ‘Moved’ is one of these presentations.”

Step 1 – the concept

“Things always start with a brainstorming session. We convene a group of colleagues to think about a new theme. This group includes specialists in the collection, people from the public relations department, from the Old Masters Department, the Contemporary Art Department, etc. This is a somewhat unusual way of working. Traditionally, the curator proposes the concept, and it is usually based on scientific research. Questions like ‘how do we translate this to the public?’ are usually only asked later. At M, we want all the departments to be involved from the very beginning.”

“The idea for ‘Moved’ was devised in a concept group like that. We have a lot of religious heritage in our collection. Naturally, we keep it in the best possible conditions, and we ensure that it is touched as little as possible. But many of these pieces were actually made to be used. They had specific functions in the liturgy, were carried in processions, statues of saints were often dressed and undressed on specific days, etc. A good example is the 15th-century Christ Child (photo) from the Great Beguinage. It had a sumptuous wardrobe and was decorated with rings, necklaces and crowns. In the period between Christmas Day and Candlemas, it was displayed on the altar in a richly decorated crib, and the faithful would embrace it, kiss it, bathe it and cradle it – just like a living baby.”

“We thought this contrast between the objects’ original uses and their status as museum pieces was very interesting. That is partly because people today are far less familiar with ritual practices. And it is from the germ of that idea that the exhibition grew.”

“My job as a project coordinator is to supervise the entire process leading up to the exhibition, from concept to realization. And when I wear my other hat – that of head of exhibitions – I look at the bigger picture: how can we fit the exhibition into our schedule, which rooms will be free and when, do we have sufficient staff and budget, etc.”

“After we have chosen the theme of the exhibition, we begin to select the pieces. The curator compile is a long list, which is then gradually refined. There are many things that we must consider: are the objects ready to be displayed or do they need to be cleaned or even restored, can they be exposed to the light for long periods of time, etc.”

Step 2 – the scenography

“We have a concept for the exhibition, we know what we want to show, we know which pieces belong together, and we know which rooms we will use. Then the next question is how we will arrange everything in the space.”

“For this stage of the process, the museum convenes a project team: curation, project coordination, public relations, communications, and production. This team draft a task description and sends it to the scenographer. That is usually an architect. He draws up the plans, the project team gives feedback, the plans are adjusted where necessary, and so on until everyone is satisfied. For our collection presentations, we usually design the scenography internally, but for ‘Moved’ we worked together with an architect with whom we often collaborate, Bram Denkens.”

“The scenographer also takes into account the plan that public relations have drawn up in the meantime: how are we going to get people excited about the exhibition, how are we going to involve them, how will we ensure that they understand the message, etc.? People often overestimate how much a person can take in during an exhibition. You are bombarded with names, facts and information. You don’t have to remember it all of course, but as exhibition organizers we do like our visitors to understand the central message. That is why it is important for us to be able to summarize it very briefly. All our further work is geared towards conveying that message: the selection of the pieces, the scenography, the public relations, the room texts, etc. In ‘Moved’, the message is: these objects were originally made to be used during religious rituals, not to be shown in display cases. Our aim is to revivify that forgotten role for our visitors.”

Step 3 – The installation

“M has a fixed group of external collaborators who implement the scenography. They build the furniture and arrange it in the rooms. We transform our spaces for each new exhibition: we close certain parts, move the entrance to the room, install temporary walls, etc. That may explain why people sometimes get confused when they visit M. “What? Wasn’t there a wall here last time!?” (laughs)

“When everything is ready, it is time to install the pieces themselves. This job is done by art handlers, people who are trained to touch and move works of art. They ensure that the pieces are safely moved into the right position – in cooperation with the museum storage manager and any external restorers involved in the project. If the artworks cannot stand or be fixed to the wall, the art handlers also have to build adequate supports. This is called Soclage. In ‘Moved’, for example, we show a damask canopy that was carried about a monstrance in a procession. The support structure of the canopy is lost, but we build a new one during the soclage. In this way, we can give our visitors an idea of what it looked like originally.”

“Once the pieces are in place, the wall texts and labels have to be written, as well as completing the very last step: the lighting. For the lighting, we cooperate with an external specialist firm. They are given a place of the scenography which they can analyse to see how the lighting should be installed so that the pieces look their very best. This is done in consultation with the curators because the lighting to a large extent determines the atmosphere in the room. There is a big difference between dramatic or more business-like lighting.”

“When the lights are switched on for the first time, it’s a magical moment. That is when the exhibition comes to life. In ‘Moved’, for example, we use oblique lighting that falls from behind transparent curtains. This is an imitation of how the light in churches falls through stained-glass windows. The lighting thus becomes an additional element that enhances the message of the exhibition.”

“The installation period is always very busy. It is also the only time that we are focused exclusively on a single exhibition. Here at the museum, we always have many projects running simultaneously. We start organizing major loan exhibitions five years in advance, but we only reserve two years of organization for collection presentations. In other words, there is always a project at the concept stage, one at the scenography stage and one at the production stage. Part of my job is to ensure through careful planning that we meet all our deadlines.”

“It used to be quite hectic just before an opening, but we now try to avoid evening and weekend work as much as possible. We are dealing with extremely valuable artworks, so the last thing you need is an exhausted team. Through careful planning, you can try to minimize these very busy moments or avoid them altogether.”

Step 4 – Opening the doors

“Once the exhibition is running, we always evaluate the project internally as well as asking the public about their experiences. We do this quite extensively, especially in the case of collection presentations. We bring together focus groups and ask them about the legibility of the labels, the theme of the exhibition, in short, the entire range of the visitor experience. We use this feedback in organizing future exhibitions.”

Step 5 – Dismantling the exhibition

“The external team that built the exhibition deconstructs it again. Display cases are often made to measure, but we try to reuse as many materials as possible. For ‘Moved’, for example, we are using glass cases that were built in 2016. We are also reusing the curtains, the wooden wall panelling, etc. The goal is to throw as little as possible away. Deconstructing the exhibition happens very quickly. It takes one week to remove all the artworks and another week to dismantle the infrastructure. And then everything starts all over again.”