Museographic Heritage. Conserving and Enhancing the Exhibition Design Culture

In the last twenty years, museums have revised and enhanced the relationship with their past. Within this framework, the history of exhibition cultures and practices has become the object of new interpretations, uses and displays. The resulting raise of interest also led to the acknowledgment of the outstanding value of those 20th century display settings that have remained visible and operative, despite the ever-changing nature of museum spaces. These apparatuses represent a special form of heritage – a museographic heritage, which bears witness of the progressive development of modern exhibition design culture, documents outstanding solutions, contributes to the self-reflexive work that is being carried out in most institutions, and participates in the education of contemporary architects, artists, museologists and publics. The volume aims at highlighting, documenting and critically reflecting on the development of innovative approaches dedicated to the conservation of these historical display systems, and on the emergence of creative practices to valorize, enhance and integrate them into the life of contemporary museums.