The Interactive Exhibit, JFK and Design-Build

The exhibit Mathematica: A World of Numbers…And Beyond, designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1961, marked a distinct shift in exhibition design by making the visitor an active participant in the unfolding of information. Moving beyond the static, didactic “one way” presentation, the installations were organized around the notion that the visitor affected the content delivery – transforming the exhibit into a personal experience. This ability to translate information into an “interactive” learning condition created a dynamic and engaging platform from which to consider the nature of exhibitions and the presentation of didactic information. In 2010, Former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter donated his papers and personal effects to Philadelphia University. In 2011, the university applied for and received a grant to host, curate, design and fabricate an exhibit to celebrate the life and career of Arlen Specter to be located in the campus library. It was the inaugural research/ presentation event for the Philadelphia University Arlen Specter Center for Public Service. Specter’s emergence into the public eye began with his Warren Commission service investigating the JFK assassination and the “single bullet theory” which he developed and promoted. A cross campus, interdisciplinary exhibition committee was assembled to coordinate, direct and develop the “show.” The component design/ fabrication team included graphic design and architecture students in design-build studio coursework. The exhibit, entitled Single Bullet and the Warren Commission Investigation of the JFK Assassination opened for the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death in November, 2013. 3This paper explores the nature of the “interactive” exhibit, the role of representation, and their effects on the “collaborative” processes utilized in creation of a design-build academic exhibit – in this case the enormous task of framing a collective contemplation on one of the most powerful events of the 20th century.

Volume Editors
Sergio Palleroni, Ted Cavanagh & Ursula Hartig

ISBN
978-0-935502-94-7