THE EXHIBITION –
A PLACE OF
LIMITED
DIALOGUE
Dr. Martin R.Schärer
Person A  Person B
= Direct or Real Dialogue
Curator
 Time 
Exhibits (replacing the curator)  Visitor
= Communication
Person A  Person B
= Direct or Real Dialogue
Curator
 Time 
Exhibits (replacing the curator)  Visitor
= Communication
Curator
 Time 
Exhibits (replacing the curator)  Visitor
= Communication
EXHIBITION
The exhibition is a place of interpretative
visualization of absent sets of circumstances
(facts, situations)
with things and staging elements as signs
EXHIBITION SITUATION
SENDER

EXHIBITION

RECEIVER
EXHIBITION SITUATION
SENDER
Mediator

EXHIBITION
Message
Absent Sets of Circumstances

RECEIVER
Visitor
EXHIBITION SITUATION
SENDER
Mediator

EXHIBITION

Message
Absent Sets of Circumstances
Exhibition Elements

Exhibits/Objects
Staging elements
Room components
RECEIVER
Visitor
EXHIBITION SITUATION
SENDER

EXHIBITION

RECEIVER
PARTICIPANT
Mediator
Message
Absent Sets of Circumstances
Exhibition Elements

Exhibits/Objects
Staging elements
Room components
Visitor
EXHIBITION LANGUAGES
EXHIBITION LANGUAGES
Aesthetic Exhibition Language
 Enjoyment
EXHIBITION LANGUAGES
Aesthetic Exhibition Language
 Enjoyment
Didactic Exhibition Language
 Knowledge
EXHIBITION LANGUAGES
Aesthetic Exhibition Language
 Enjoyment
Didactic Exhibition Language
 Knowledge
Theatrical Exhibition Language
 Experience
EXHIBITION LANGUAGES
Aesthetic Exhibition Language
 Enjoyment
Didactic Exhibition Language
 Knowledge
Theatrical Exhibition Language
 Experience
Associative Exhibition Language
 Thinking
EXHIBITION
The exhibition is a place of interpretative
visualization of absent sets of circumstances
(facts, situations)
with things and staging elements as signs
EXHIBITION
The exhibition is a place of interpretative visualization of absent sets of
circumstances (facts, situations)
with things and staging elements as
signs
EXHIBITION SITUATION
SENDER

EXHIBITION

RECEIVER
PARTICIPANT
Mediator
Message
Absent Sets of Circumstances
Exhibition Elements

Exhibits/Objects
Staging elements
Room components
Visitor
EXHIBITION SITUATION
SENDER
Mediator

EXHIBITION

Message
Absent Sets of Circumstances
RECEIVER
PARTICIPANT
Visitor
Exhibition Elements

Exhibits/Objects =
intended > sign > denotation
Staging elements =
intended > sign > denotation
Room components =
not intended > sign > connotations
EXHIBITION SITUATION
SENDER
Mediator

EXHIBITION

Message
Absent Sets of Circumstances
RECEIVER
PARTICIPANT
Visitor
Exhibition Elements

Exhibits/Objects =
intended > sign > denotation
Staging elements =
intended > sign > denotation
Room components =
not intended > sign > connotations
THEATRE
An Author
Communicates
an Absent Theme
THEATRE
An Author
Communicates
an Absent Theme

Arranged Stage with
Mobile Actors
Visualizes every time anew
An Absent Theme for
Immobile Spectators
Creating their own play
EXHIBITION
THEATRE
An Author
Communicates
Absent Facts
An Author
Communicates
an Absent Theme

Arranged Stage with
Mobile Actors
Visualizes every time anew
An Absent Theme for
Immobile Spectators
Creating their own play
EXHIBITION
THEATRE
An Author
Communicates
Absent Facts
An Author
Communicates
an Absent Theme


Arranged Stage with
Arranged Stage with
Immobile Objects
Mobile Actors
Visualizes always in the same way
Visualizes every time anew
Absent Facts for
An Absent Theme for
Mobile Visitors
Immobile Spectators
Creating their own exhibition
Creating their own play
Person A  Person B
= Direct or Real Dialogue
Warden

Visitor
Visitor A

Visitor B
Visitor A

Visitor A
Curatorial and educational staff

Visitor
Person A  Person B
= Direct or Real Dialogue
Warden

Visitor
Visitor A

Visitor B
Visitor A

Visitor A
Curatorial and educational staff

Visitor
Person A  Time  Person B
= Indirect “Dialogue”
Person A  Person B
= Direct or Real Dialogue
Warden

Visitor
Visitor A

Visitor B
Visitor A

Visitor A
Curatorial and educational staff

Visitor
Person A  Time  Person B
= Indirect “Dialogue”
Person A  Time  Person B
= Communication
Person A  Person B
= Direct or Real Dialogue
Warden

Visitor
Visitor A

Visitor B
Visitor A

Visitor A
Curatorial and educational staff

Visitor
Person A  Time  Person B
= Indirect “Dialogue”
Person A  Time  Person B
= Communication
Curator  Time  Exhibits (replacing the curator)  Visitor
= Second Degree Communication or Fake Dialogue