Exhibition Design - Museum of Wellington, NZ

Exhibition Designs from Wellington Museum

I have been working as the exhibition - concept - art director - designer at the Wellington Museum. Given that this is a relatively small organisation I have tended to design, set the lighting, install the show and even bang out the odd intro graphic - its been a bit of a roller coaster but all in all an amazing opportunity. Here are some photographs of the finished product on the floor. Most of the work you see is from the one 100sq metre gallery on the ground floor.

The Gallery of Helen Hitcnings

This feature exhibition celebrated the pioneering Wellington art dealer Helen Hitchings with a re-creation of her original gallery. Concept for this show is that the gallery was like a shop front a pricipal idea that HH was exploring at the time. Photographic reference was used to get the gallery just right.

The Gallery of Helen Hitchings - detail of wall looking through into gallery

The Gallery of Helen Hitchings - detail of the interior of the gallery behind the wall. The interior was taken direct from historic photographs. Objects that could not be found where recreated as cutouts or shadows of the original item.

Shaped by Hand - Museum of Wellington

This unique exhibition looked at the 50 national exhibitions held by New Zealand Potters Inc. and the ceramic scene since its early pioneering days. Visitors were also privy to the processes and techniques used to create these beautiful works of art by watching the potters. Breeze blocks and simple white stained ply was used as two key design elements.

Shaped by Hand -

detail of central feature a working potters studio, hands on table and related items.

Shaped by Hand

detail of historic pottery and ceramic sculptures

Shaped by Hand

detail of exhibtion seating and audio visual interpretation

Alfred, Mabel & Charles A Portrait from Hills Hats to Waiata Poi. - Museum of Wellington

This exhibition and concert series introduced visitors to the commercial and artistic achievements of a once famous Wellington family. Entrepreneur Charles Hill established the nationally successful Hills Hats company while nurturing his talented children. Composer Alfred and artist Mabel thrived in the vibrant Wellington of the late 19th century.

Hills exhibtiion detail - each case was accompanied by a slice graphic of one of the Hills family.

Each case then drilled down and focused on the life of that family member. I used wallpaper as graphic element to break sections.

Alfred, Mabel & Charles A Portrait from Hills Hats to Waiata Poi - detail of section - Charles and Alfred Hill

War in Paradise The unofficial story of NZ soldiers in New Caledonia 1942-44
This exhibition used archival photography alongside extracts from historical documents to give an insight into the experience of 20,000 New Zealanders who passed through Bourail during World War 2. Central to the exhibition design was a re-creation of the Bourail cemetary where 235 New Zealanders are buried.

Detail of War in Paradise.

I used red earth and gravel mixed with concrete in this exhibtion and tossed light through the tree sculptures. Projections where cast onto a sheet of tin accompanied by a filmic soundscape by Plan 9.

Detail of War in Paradise tree sculptures.

10 Years In Wonderland

The Museum celebrated ten years of being Wellington's city museum with its birthday feature exhibition 10 Years in Wonderland - an exhibition into the inner world the museum. Co curating this exhibtion I selected objects from the museum collection on display in a Mad Hatter tea party inspired setting, this quirky and whimsical exhibition took you into a wonderland of hidden treasures. detail is the entry tunnel.

10 Years in Wonderland - central space

10 Years in Wonderland

This section displayed bells and signs in a gold cage.

10 Years in Wonderland - Entrance in to the display.

Each section had a laminated floor graphic made from 30 pieces of paper I then clear coated and painted over the paper to toughen.

10 Years in Wonderland

This section features a sandblasting cloak - helmet, anti aircaft gun and cabinets from the collection store. We filled up a whole load of sandbags - the first lot of sand was taken from the beach was a little damp and rooted the bags.

10 Years in Wonderland

This section features the library - key books from the collection. In this section you can see a 50s fridge inside the fridge I put our ships in bottles and commerative beer cans. Books float out of the book case and fly through the space.

Permanent Display Changeover - Boer War

Permanent display changeover - Hills Hats

1913 Strike - War on the Wharves

Strike 1913

Collection Exhibition - Many Pictures Many Stories.

Single collection item is displayed in crate as a feature object to attract the viewer. The crate has a motion sensor and comes alive when people enter the small gallery at the Museum. Other framed works dot the walls.

Public Zoo - designed and curated

This exhibition recreated the magic of past visits to the Zoo. Public Zoo combined contemporary art mixed with Zoo history and artifacts. It led visitors from the entertainment of chimp tea-parties & elephant rides, to today's focus on conservation, learning and fun. There was also an interactive imagination wall, where visitors could create their own animal, as well as a large interactive area and 'whose poo' boxes!

Public Zoo - central kids area

Public Zoo

Whose poo boxes - each box has a different plaster version of a animal poo. A simple question is asked - "this animla is large and lives in Africa - Whose POO ? and you have to guess the animal poo then lift the flap below. The kids loved this and it got us some press - which was great.

Public Zoo

Central Space - magnetic wall allowed kids to create their own animals with various animal pieces then the kids made up a name. The kids where also asked to create pictures and stick them on the wall - the imagination wall was a big hit.

Welcome

Welcome embraced the role Wellington Access Radio plays in allowing the diverse Latino, Tongan and Indian communities to have a strong voice. A different radio programme was featured each month, and various programmes broadcast live from a caravan. This pic shows the tongan space - I was really happy with these plinths for the tongan material simple ply base with an thin arcylic surround to protect the loaned material.