Museum Portfolio

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o n l i n e

p o r t f o l i o

s e r i e s

communicating the of

experience being

there

MUSEUMS a florentine exhibition space comes to life

a florentine exhibition space comes to life still photography t& motion 2007 - PRESENT

20 0 6 m a r ke d the b eg i nning of a new era for Flor ence’s lar ges t tem p o ra r y exhi b iti on sp a ce, TH E PALAZZO STROZZI. The new era be ga n wi t h t he a rriva l of D i rector Gen eral, James Bradbur ne. He, l i te ra l l y, o p e ned the d oors of the Palaz z o (clos ed for decades ) and l e t t h e p ub li c in.

C l e ve r t a ct i cs a nd im a g i na ti ve p rograms engaged v is itor s in ar t, pe r fo r m a n ce, sci ence, li tera ture a nd m us ic. He br eath ed lif e into th e p u b l i c co u r tya rd w ith a ca fe, a m u s eum s tor e, and f r ee wi- f i, n ot t o m e n t i o n, g iving them a p l a ce to s it.

Ve r y q u i c k l y, the ‘Strozzi’ b eca m e k n own as a meeting place, a h a p p e n i n g s p a ce a nd w ith exhi b iti o ns n ot to be mis s ed.

I n 2 0 0 7 , B ra db ur ne hi red O’MA RA MCBRIDE to comm unicate the exp e r i e n ce o f the Pa l a zzo throug h s tills and motion ph otography – in s i d e t h e ex hi b iti ons, outsid e in public s paces an d in connection to t h e ci t y a nd the wor ld a t l a rge.

I n cl o s e c o mm uni ca tion w i th Bra d b ur ne on the v is ion of the Italian a n d A m e r i c a n F o u n d a t i o n s t h a t f u n d t h e Pa l a z z o S t r o z z i , w e c re a t e e n ga gi ng i m a gery tha t conveys the mes s ages.

exhib spa

E n g ag i ng , m ov

bition ace

ving , i n te llige nt .

educat The purpose of a museum is to create an environment where the visitor can explore the ways in which she can actively modify her relationship with culture, by enhancing her knowledge, piquing her curiosity, by honing her critical judgement.”

If museums are to fulfil their promise as privileged sites for learning in the 21st century, tvhey must rethink the way in which they function, and become increasingly user-driven- in a word, more ‘bottom-up’.

In abstract terms this means taking the visitor’s competence and abilities seriously, and creating opportunities for the visitor to actively shape their experience in the museum.

James Bradbur ne, Florence, Italy

ion

an actor brings a 14th century tapestry to life

print

signage

Lively discussions unfold as family members join their loved ones in positive and enriching experiences taking place within the protective m us e u m e n v i ro n ment. L aug hter and a lightness of spirit surrounds the participants.

time

slips

Connecting to THE SPRINGTIME OF THE RENAISSANCE Sculpture Exhibition, participants in the TIME SLIPS group work with clay to sculpt their own pieces and then tell the stories of their creations.

family time to understand, tell stories, be together

ARTISTS &

INSIDERS A lifestyle portrait, photographs for the annual report, a casual shot for a local newspaper.

CONNECTION – physical, electronic, with art, with each other, with the world.

The museum as a place for conversation, exploration, inspiration.

young adul

ts

public space “MEET ME AT THE STROZZI.”

COURTYARD CONCERTS

CAFE LIFE