As you consider the title, scope and content of each exhibition, analyze elements of
exhibition design, including, but not limited to, use of space and overall structure;
entry, paths and exit; lighting; sight lines; crowd control; label location and
information (including ownership); mannequin style and display; supporting
objects, if any. Keep in mind curatorial and general viewer perspectives, and
support all subjective statements with specific objective points.
Below are excerpts from A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 8th Edition by Sylvan
Barnet. Please use it as a reference.
A review usually includes:
● Description
● Analysis
● Evaluation
A description tells readers what something looks like: A description in a review tells
us how big the exhibition is, how the works are displayed, and it tells us what some
of the works look like.
An analysis tells readers how some aspects of the exhibition work and what all
parts of the exhibition add up to.
An evaluation tells readers whether the exhibition was worth doing, how well it has
been done, and whether it is worth seeing – and of course these judgments must
be supported with evidence.
When drafting your review, keep asking yourself: What do my readers need to
know?
Structure of Review:
● A title that engages the reader.
● An opening paragraph that informs the reader of the subject, the time period
and subject matter covered. By the end of the opening, the reader should
also sense the reviewer’s thesis, the main point.
● A paragraph that goes into further detail about the theme, purpose, or idea,
or scope embodied in the exhibition.
● A paragraph about the setting and the installation. Reviews often comment,
too, on whether the installation of the material helps or hinders the viewer’s
experience. You will probably consider the lighting and the wall texts and
brochures. Remember: The curators and exhibition designers have shaped
EXHIBITION REVIEW GUIDELINE
the exhibition by choosing certain works and displaying them in a certain
way.
● A paragraph on the strengths. Single out the works you find especially
interesting.
● A paragraph on the weaknesses.
● A concluding paragraph in which the reviewer in effect summarizes (but in
fresh language) the point, the thesis, that has been established throughout
the review.
Some final tips:
● Read any texts that are on the walls.
● If a brochure is available at the exhibition, take one and read it.
● Take pictures (unless prohibited by the museum) and notes while you are at
the exhibition.