ABOUT

This convening proposes to reflect on the civic responsibilities of museums as public spaces, and their potential as inclusive community generators and contributors to the development of a diverse society. At the same time, it will seek to underscore the emerging role of designers as critical mediators between museums and their audiences.

Chaos at the Museum will offer participants practical tools and new formats to expand their creativity energizing museums, making them places of social gathering that infiltrate civic / urban space, and engaging them in a different dialogue with their environment, neighborhoods and community.

In 2014, the inaugural congress Chaos at the Museum: Designing for Audience Participation examined what’s working and what’s not in the realm of designing for audience interaction and participation. The event was organized by the University of California, Davis; Central Saint Martins, UAL; and The George Washington University. Fundación TyPA has joined these institutions to organize this second edition in Buenos Aires.

•      4 inspiring conferences with outstanding professionals who have demonstrated expertise in creating innovative exhibitions and installations in the public domain.
•      3 panel discussions to analyze specific cases and discuss the relationship between the museums, design and public spaces.
•      16 tools workshops for sharing practical knowledge and methods for designing interventions developed by architects, artists and designers.
•      16 creative studios in which participants will work in small groups to develop a prototype for an intervention in public space in the historical district of the City of Buenos Aires.

Based in Buenos Aires, since 2004 TyPA Foundation promotes training and promotion in the fields of literature, museums, auteur cinema and the arts throughout Latin America. It organizes workshops and conferences, conducts and publishes research, provides advice and organizes collaborative networks to support cultural production and circulation throughout the world. For the past ten years, TyPA has been bringing experts from world leading institutions to Latin America to teach and create collective experiences for the benefit of more than 500 museum professionals. Some recent programs include meetings on art and social inclusion, creative management, the role of the public, communication and market, and designing creative experiences. The TyPA Laboratory Management in Museums, created to train a new generation of leaders of museums in Latin America, was initiated in 2013 and is considered one of the most original and effective training institutes for museum professionals in the region.

University of California, Davis

UC Davis is ranked as one of the top public universities in the United States. Located close to the San Francisco Bay Area, it is one of ten colleges in the University of California system. The university is known for standout academics, sustainability, and for valuing the Northern California lifestyle. These themes are woven into the 100-plus-year history and reputation for solving problems related to food, health, the environment and society. The UC Davis Department of Design is one of the few programs in the United States with both undergraduate (B.A.) and graduate (M.F.A.) studies in Exhibition Design. Students focus on museum and exhibition related design theory, criticism and practice, advancing the academic understanding of exhibition design and in turn elevating current professional practice.

Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London

Central Saint Martins is a world famous college of art, design and performance renowned for the creative energy of its staff and students. Located at the heart the new Kings Cross knowledge quarter in London, the college provides an inspiring learning environment in which students are encouraged to experiment, take risks, question and discover. Students come from all over the world to study at Foundation, Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Research levels. The college aims to produce the next generation of creative talent and to drive economic growth and innovation. The vibrant creative culture at Central Saint Martins sets out to shape new models for living through research, taught programs, local, national and international networks, and productive collaborations with other universities, industries and government organizations.

The George Washington University

The GW Corcoran Masters of Arts in Exhibition Design is one of the few accredited graduate programs in the nation devoted to interpretive exhibition design. The curriculum is focused on design-thinking and experiential design, which students learn through a balanced integration of academic, technical, and real-world design opportunities. Throughout the program students are challenged to consider human factors in the creation of meaningful experiences and engaging spaces. Students obtain the professional and technical skills needed to create narrative environments, experiential design, and museum exhibitions through a user-centered focus.

Academic Director: Florencia Gonzalez de Langarica

General Coordination: Maia Persico

Networking: Agustina Lipovich

Communication: Ana Mazzoni

Production: Daniela Lagares

Graphic Design: Jimena Zeitune

Administration: Vanesa Vazquez Raimondi

Assistance: Maia Karagozlu, Isabelle Reuser

Volunteers: Florencia Buezas

University of California, Davis

Timothy McNeil

Identidad visual: Victoria Baird

Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London

Patricia Austin

Visual identity: Bethany Shepherd

The George Washington University

Clare Brown

Advisory committee

Patricia Austin

Vincent Beggs

Clare Brown

Dan Danzig

Elaine Heumann Gurian

Deborah Lynn Mack

Timothy McNeil

Teil Silverstein

James Volkert

Acknowledgements

Basílica y convento de San Francisco de Asís

Dirección Nacional de Museos

Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires