- A manifesto for making science, technology and medicine exhibitions
Beta version, August 2010

Fifteen years ago, Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg spearheaded Dogme95, a manifesto aimed at purifying the art of film-making. Refusing postproduction and avoiding unnecessary artifice in order to focus on the cinematic story and on the performances that embody it, its proponents believed that this would enable audiences to be more profoundly engaged and less likely to be distracted by the contrivances of over-production.

Since then, the idea of applying a similar discipline to other areas of creative art activity has occurred to many. Writers, theatre directors and other arts practitioners have all found inspiration in Dogme95’s back-to-basics philosophy. It has also influenced other professional callings, such as, for example, English Language Training, where the plea to return to the fundamental practice of classes based on speaking and writing the language, rather than technological gimmicks and methodological innovations, has been taken up with evangelical zeal by many in the field.

In spite of the criticism that has been levelled against it, we have found inspiration in this classical “wow of chastity” in order to guide and sharpen the creative practice of specific concern to us, viz., how exhibition-making should be conducted in the world of science, technology and medicine. Could we translate the idea that ‘props and sets’ must not be brought onto a film set and that filming must be done on location? Actually, this was pretty easy to relocate in exhibition terms. Dogme95’s determination that sounds in a film should not be produced apart from the visual aspect was also suggestive to us, as were the ‘commandments’ that filming must take place where the action takes place, that there should be no artificial lighting, and that the film takes place here and now. Some of their proposals prompted us fundamentally to disagree – for example, their insistence that the director of a film should not be credited. A number of the other rules that we have come up with more narrowly relate to exhibition making in the specific context we are concerned with.

And now to the 15 dogmas:

1. Exhibition making should be based on the practice of research, not dissemination

2. Never show ready-made science

3. Exhibitions are inevitably multi-authored, and everyone involved should be clearly and properly credited

4. Make your exhibitions for inquisitive adults, and then add layers and means for other audiences to engage with them

5. Don’t forget that ultimately visitors make their own exhibitions

6. Remember that exhibitions are just the starting place for visitor engagement

7. Embrace the show-business aspects of exhibitions

8. Embrace the ephemeral nature of exhibitions

9. Always involve a scientist in the project team; a technologist if the show is about technology.

10. Make the exhibition true to the place where it is shown

11. Always involve more than one sense – but refuse artificial sounds and odours

12. Use no replicas or reproductions, just original artefacts, images and documents

13. Leave out as much as possible

14. Avoid artificial lighting

15. Don’t be afraid to bend, break or reinvent these rules

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