Introduction: Staging the Temporary: The Fragile Character of Space

Abstract

This volume examines a varied number of exhibition devices that are ephemeral in terms of the precariousness of their structure, but also in terms of their capacity to adapt to the space in which they develop. Special attention will be paid to spaces such as curiosity cabinets, portable museums, show gardens, and a number of unconventional exhibition devices. These spaces often function as microcosms, small autonomous universes that operate individually, but also in relation to their environment. The aim of this volume is to examine their development and relationship to context.