Re:Think Gallery
Client: National Maritime Museum
May 2014 / Scale: 100 sqm
Work under Plaid
Graphic design: Stefi Orazi Studio
Re:Think is a participation space and an artist-in-residence studio that offers public engagement and educational projects. Working together with the museum’s creative director, curators, interpretation and education team, the project sets out a new framework for public engagement. Each resident artist/ writer/ scientist could share their making process through dialogue, workshops and exhibitions.
Working in close dialogue with the client, we developed a public engagement strategy based around identified activities and behaviours through our research in museums and public spaces across the world.
The result is a space formed by a flexible kit of parts: showcases that can be filled with objects co-created by the public; a flexible drawing wall system with removable screens; lightweight seats that can disappear into the walls; and a message wall where public can have dialogues with the curators.
The foam triangular stool design was based upon our study into human posture and behaviours in museums. The triangle can be rotated to form a seat, backrest and when clustered, it transforms into an island seating for groups. It was an attempt to encourage playful behaviour and participatory atmosphere in the space, as opposed to a formal spectating behaviour often found in museums.
