Exhibitions and related themes feature regularly on the Leaving Certificate Art History and Appreciation paper. We have developed this unit to encourage students to analyse an exhibition, and to think critically about how it is planned and designed in different contexts and spaces. You can use this unit to provide the basis for an exhibition design project using a visit to Fota House as inspiration.
The unit features a fact pack called ‘All About Exhibitions.’ This is a comprehensive information source to inform a pre-visit classroom discussion and looks at the principle elements of exhibition design. The unit also looks at case studies of a concept and object led exhibition and has links to exhibition designer’s websites where further research can be carried out.
Suggestions for pre-visit work In the Classroom
Using our image gallery, exhibition links and All About Exhibitions information sheet, you can carry out an informed discussion about exhibitions in a number of contexts.
Your visit to Fota House
During tour of the house students can carry out an analysis of the site. We will provide an activity sheet with a checklist of points to consider when planning an exhibition at Fota. Our informed guides will initiate critical discussion on exhibitions and topics and will be happy to answer questions relating to the house and its history.
Post visit work
Students can create a mood board based around their ideas and design concepts for an exhibition plan for Fota supported by written notes. The visual data gathered on site and activity sheets will inform written work based around the major elements of exhibition design.
