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There’s magic in an exhibition. Wandering through an exhibition space is a chance to experience an artistic vision, to see life through the eyes of those who came before, to experience new ideas, or to be transported to some distant land. But behind each exhibition of artworks, ideas or historic artefacts are numerous considered decisions — decisions made by a curator.
Exhibition curation is responsible for so much of the exhibition experience itself, and curators have a lot to think about when putting an exhibition together. To get a greater sense of what exhibition curation involves, we spoke with Deakin’s library exhibitions curator, Pip Minney.
When you think of exhibition spaces, you might picture the watery wall of glass that leads to the National Gallery of Victoria, or the surrealist sculptures of Heide. But, for Pip Minney, an example of a truly impactful exhibition space is one of the three galleries managed by Deakin library. Here, Minney curates exhibitions that ‘bring together research, collections and creative practice across the University’.
With a background inmanaging exhibitions at nationally important spaces like the Geelong Gallery, National Gallery of Australia and National Gallery of Victoria, Minney has plenty to offer the Deakin library space. Exhibition curation in the library is certainly unique compared to those more traditional gallery spaces, but that’s all part of the challenge.
‘At Deakin, my focus is on translating research and collections into experiences that are accessible and engaging for broad audiences,’ Minney says. ‘I am particularly interested in how exhibitions can connect people with ideas and with each other, and how they can support learning in shared, everyday spaces like the Library.’
From Ancient Rome to the dinosaurs, Jackson Pollock to the Dutch masters, exhibitions can focus on any creative medium, artist or moment in history. Whatever the concept, though, Minney says exhibition curation is all about ‘shaping a body of material into a meaningful experience.’
‘It involves selecting content, developing a central idea, and then building a narrative that connects everything together,’ she says. ‘That might include objects, archival material, research or creative work.’
For Minney, understanding both the material and the audience is key to exhibition curation, and both aspects need to be carefully considered.
‘In that sense, curation is a form of translation,’ she says. ‘It takes complex or specialised knowledge and reworks it into something that can be experienced, questioned and understood in a public context.’
For curators like Minney, there are many moving parts involved in putting an exhibition together. Exhibition curation requires some key steps, which include:
Minney says that the big benefit of any curated exhibition is that it ‘makes ideas visible’. For public spaces like the Deakin library, the benefits go even further.
‘They create opportunities for people to encounter research and creative work outside of formal teaching environments,’ Minney says. ‘This can make complex topics more accessible and encourage curiosity and spark new ideas because they are often cross-disciplinary.’
Curating exhibitions in public spaces also supports different learning styles as a complement to traditional learning, as well as contributing to a sense of connection.
‘Exhibitions activate shared spaces and reflect the diversity of perspectives within the university,’ Minney says. ‘In some projects, particularly those involving students, they can also foster a sense of belonging and participation.’
Playing favourites with exhibitions is never easy, but Minney says she’s especially fond of projects that are ‘interdisciplinary, collaborative, and willing to take creative risks’. Two Deakin library exhibitions that fit the bill are The Fire Within, and Flapper Said: Exploring the Future of Conversational AI.
‘The Fire Within was a highly collaborative project that brought together Indigenous Knowledge, art, science and design,’ Minney says. ‘We commissioned artist Lowell Hunter (Nyul Nyul) to create a large-scale sand sculpture in the atrium of the Sally Walker Building, which became a focal point for the exhibition. This work sat alongside an immersive planetarium experience called The Earth Above, a collaboration between Deakin Motion Lab and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH).’
Minney’s other memorable exhibition in the library, Flapper Said, was based on a research project centred around conversational AI, with a digital persona engaging audiences in dialogue.
‘It drew on archival material, storytelling and speculative design to examine how technology shapes memory, authorship and truth,’ says Minney. ‘The project sparked strong audience responses, particularly around the boundaries between fact and interpretation. That element of debate was important. It positioned the exhibition as not only a display, but a space for questioning and discussion.’
A career in exhibition curation is a chance to share the secrets of the world with an audience that might otherwise never learn them, to spark debate or share beauty. For those like Pip Minney, exhibition curation is a dream role that is equally full of hard work and worthwhile rewards.
So how do you make a career of exhibition curation, then? Minney recommends pursuing degrees in museum studies, cultural heritage or art history, to start with, but notes that practical experience is also important.
‘Internships, volunteer roles and early career positions are essential for understanding how exhibitions are developed and delivered,’ she says. ‘I would also advise prospective curators to be open to any roles in cultural institutions – be it front of house, registration, exhibitions or collections management. It is a competitive industry but once you gain practical hands-on experience it is much easier to find work.’
For prospective curators, Minney says creative, practical, and collaborative skills are all essential, too. Finally, exhibition curators need to be open to where curatorial practice can happen – which is something those attending the Deakin library can vouch for.
‘It is not limited to traditional galleries,’ says Minney. ‘Libraries, universities and community organisations are all places where meaningful exhibition work is taking place.’
