Late 19th-century museum exhibitions, rooted in natural sciences, archaeological, and art historical disciplines, primarily served as visualizations of methodology. They were a part of the research process and represented a form of spatial knowledge production in their own right. In contrast, many exhibitions today are often perceived as the final stage of a working process. However, both the art field and museum institutions have begun to create exhibitions that strive to go beyond mere endpoints; scenography and dramaturgy can contribute to the creation of dynamic, interactive platforms for dialogical knowledge exchange, acknowledging emotions and diverse perspectives while transforming sensory experiences into reflective insights. Yet the knowledges and practises involved in exhibition-making can also spark new, unanticipated connections and contexts, not only for visitors but also for exhibition-makers — and their methods.
If the exhibition is considered a starting point rather than an endpoint, what is it a starting point for? If the exhibition is a method, what is it a method for? What else can we discover if we venture beyond conventional notions of how and why exhibitions matter? How can we write about, think about, and make sense of exhibition as method?
This Open Call invites participants to explore issues and approaches related to exhibition as method through their own artistic, academic, curatorial, or architectural research practices. We invite scholars and practitioners to engage with an idea, theme, hypothesis, or challenge and explore it in their own unique way, enabling a transparent exchange of ideas across disciplines. We welcome all forms of artistic research, alongside more traditional written formats, whether historical or theoretical.
We seek experimental essays that are intellectually rigorous, visually compelling, methodologically innovative, and grounded in thorough primary research. We encourage a cohesive research framework driven by co-creation, where theorists and practitioners work closely together in the conceptualization, writing process, and visual experimentation. We encourage co-writing and collective working methods. Most importantly, we are looking for participants who are interested in in-depth development of their ideas and experiments, with feedback and co-working in a creative community over an extended period.
“Exhibition as Method” is a collaborative project between Metode, The Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, and The University Museum in Bergen. The editors are Karoline Kjesrud (The Museum of Cultural History in Oslo), Björn Nilsson (The University Museum in Bergen), and Ingrid Halland (Metode). The Editorial Board consists of Victoria Bugge Øye (curator at The National Museum), Hanne Hammer Stien (professor of art history and theory at The Academy of Arts, UiT The Arctic University of Norway), Petrine Vinje (artist and researcher), Gunhild Mathea Olaussen (artist and researcher at The Oslo National Academy of the Arts), and Gustav Jørgen Pedersen (Head of Research at MUNCH.
About Metode
The online journal platform Metode publishes essays in the fields of art and architecture. The essays are developed through experimental, intellectual co creation, and collaborative methods. The journal’s open, in-depth peer review method aims to offer theorists and practitioners a discursive platform for generating original and compelling critical thinking on art, architecture, design, and aesthetics that challenge conventional academic publication formats and disseminations. We invite artists, designers, and architects to unite with scholars from the humanities to explore creative and risky ways of assembling knowledge through words and works.
Metode was launched in 2022 and is run by ROM for kunst og arkitektur: Ingrid Halland (founder and editor-in-chief), Gjertrud Steinsvåg (ROM`s director), and Solveig Tjetland (editorial assistant).
In order to apply to be a participant, submit either 1) a full essay draft or 2) a comprehensive project description for your essay by 16 May 2025 to Metode’s submission platform. The full draft or project description should include sample visual material, a bibliography, and could be between 2000 and 5000 words. Submissions could be written in a Scandinavian language or in English.
If you’re interested in applying and would like to learn more about the process, we are hosting an informal digital information meeting on Friday 11 April at 14:00 – 14:30 CET link here.
Read the full Open Call on the Metode website here: https://metode.r-o-m.no/