Location – Why the courtyard?

Fig 4. Image of the courtyard space. Art Building Courtyard, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2023. Photo: Rosaline Dou.

A critical element of the exhibition is the selection of the location. The ideal venue should meet the following criteria: 1) demonstrate potential as an exhibition space, 2) be easily accessible to visitors, and 3) align with the theme of urban nature. The courtyard of the art building at the University of Washington emerges as the top choice (Fig 4). Its inherent natural elements and layout significantly enhance the overall experience of the exhibition. Often overlooked, this leisure area adjacent to a pedestrian walkway epitomizes the underutilized potential of urban natural spaces. Without efforts to revive and redesign, its value may remain unrecognized. With the courtyard as our focus, the curatorial process of the exhibition aims to present ideas effectively while maximizing the functionality of the space. This approach also embraces the sentiments to go on a journey, considering the limited practical functionality individuals would hold expectations coming into the space. Dou and Lam also consider the choice of the courtyard itself as a gesture engaging in the discourse of climate change. Courtyard space serves as a “natural” gallery space where it does not require an excessive amount of energy and resources for presentation and maintenance, such as artificial lighting, climate control, and construction as discussed in the article “How Much Energy Does it Take to Run a Museum?”.

Reference:

David Benjamin, Jean Savitsky, and Paola Antonelli, “How Much Energy Does It Take to Run a Museum? | Magazine | Moma,” MoMA Magazine, January 24, 2020, https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/224.