Exhibition design: hybrid space of advanced design innovation

The exhibition design has always been – among other design disciplines – one of the most innovative field of experimentation both for languages and projects improvement. Moreover in the recent years the use of digital technologies, on one hand, and the further more active participation of the public – or, better to say, of the user – on the other hand, are making exhibition design a promising and rising laboratory of advanced innovation. This evolution is shaping itself around the co-participation and the increasing value of trivial things as fundamental presence of experience and proof deep-rooted both in the artistic experimentation and in the daily life. The public assumes consequently a dual role: viewer and witness of the revealed memory – the exhibition subjects – and subject himself of the show – due to the belonging to/of the objects and the story told in the scenical space. The paper presents a critical point of view on the mapped scenario of approaches and case studies in an increasing scale of design actions, starting from the more traditional projects to the most advanced in innovation and people involvement.