A Digital Exhibition to Pave Way for V&A's Future. Decode-Digital Design Sensations

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Art - Installation / Action/Performance Art / Modern Art, grade: Distinction, Kingston University London (Kingston University London, in Partnership with the Design Museum, London, U.K.), course: MA Curating Contemporary Design, language: English, comment: "You offer a good descriptive account of the V&,amp,A exhibition, 'Decode' supported by a solid list of references. Your argument comprises a series of strong points that successfully target the exhibition's successes and limitations. [...] Strong images support the text. You show that you have a clear understanding of the processes of exhibition curating and that a strong curatorial voice comes through the text." , abstract: Decode: Digital Design Sensation was V&A's large-scale debut digital exhibition in its culture. From a curatorial angle, it was not just an exhibition to inform the new trend of digital art and design, but it also acted as a milestone for the museum to change its face and maintain a world's leading role in art and design field. With this mission in mind, the whole situation became unique. This essay aims to investigate how this situation has affected the curatorial approach, and analyze the exhibition's forward-looking objectives, then go more in-depth to find out how curators came up with wise decisions to meet those objectives. The discussion will focus on four main areas of Decode's achievements, and zoom in to look at the essentials for the success: Firstly, the encompassing curatorial idea - Code, Interactivity, Network. Secondly, their bold marketing solution Recode Decode campaign. Thirdly, its collaborative platform which both achieving integrity of content and allowing openness for discourses. Lastly, its underlying agenda to bridge to the future. Throughout to the end, the essay unfolds a whole picture of Decode's missionary accomplishment that had manifested V&A's evolvement into its digital culture.