Respite Spaces

Concerts have silences between songs. 

Book chapters have blank spaces at the end.

In this email, there is an empty line after each idea. Here’s one:

Respites don’t just appear because one bit is over. It’s deliberate. They establish rhythm and refocus us.

But in our exhibitions, sometimes we let stuff fill up every surface, every space. Like we gotta hose down the place! With content! By lunchtime!

I’m sure we don’t really want our projects to feel like a book that’s just one endless chapter. Or a concert that’s one long song. Or this email, without empty lines like this one:

Respite spaces in exhibitions can take many forms.

> We could paint a neutral space all one color. Red! Beige. Decorator White.

> Or have a nice bench. And otherwise, nothing.

> Or we could feature one singular, different kind of content. If the exhibition is lots of historical objects, have a respite area with a single painting. Just one.

> Or, have a space that’s just empty and dark. It can work. Just not too big.

Here’s the thing:
Fight the content hose!

Like concerts, books, and this email, exhibitions need breaks: deliberate respite spaces.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:
Lightbox. [Less commonly, light box.] A case or panel with one or more faces that are illuminated from inside, in order to backlight a graphic film or photograph. (Can also refer to a similar box without any artwork, where the glowing surface helps with tasks like tracing.)