Inventing an Exhibition Genre

We all want to do new things in exhibitions. The most impressive new thing is perhaps inventing an entire new type of exhibition: a new genre.

But inventing a genre from scratch is difficult, and rare:

• Jaws was the first summer blockbuster. 

• Toy Story was the first CGI movie.

• Psycho was the first slasher film.

In exhibitions: 

• Treasures of Tutankhamun was the first blockbuster. 

• Ateliers des Lumières pioneered immersive projection. 

• Meow Wolf was the first … er … Meow Wolf.

They took a risk, and people liked it. Meanwhile, a hundred others we don’t remember all lost their bet.

It’s easier to make a new sub-genre:

• Get Out pioneered a new sub-genre of horror / social satire. 

• Bridgerton pioneered a new sub-genre of period epic.

• Halloween took what Psycho started and made a new standard.

This usually means playing on an established genre. 

This can work in exhibitions also. :

• Adding paintings to a natural history exhibition sounds plausible.

• Enlivening a sculpture garden with performance art might be terrific.

• Wrapping a science exhibit with digital immersive could be great. 

Here’s the thing:
Inventing a whole new exhibition genre is rare — but does occasionally happen. 

Trying to make a new sub-genre is a little easier.

Got a good idea?

Warmly
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:
Consumables. Supplies or materials that must be regularly replenished in an exhibition. For example: light bulbs, interactive kiosk printer ink, and post-it-notes. Unlike most of a new exhibition project, consumables are not a one-time cost. They are a repeating cost that must be budgeted.