Week 8 | Our Shell
1. Naming the Exhibition
our discussion at Summerhall helped us confirm the direction of our exhibition more clearly. We finalised the exhibition date, selected the works we want to include, and agreed on the title: Our Shell. This title feels closely connected to Ji Ju Collective itself. For us, Ji Ju is not just a group name, but a way of thinking about being together through difference. Our Shell develops this further by suggesting a shared space that can hold different people, materials and experiences at the same time.
The title also reflects the kind of atmosphere we want the exhibition to create. A shell can protect, contain and gather, but it is not completely closed. In this sense, the exhibition is intended as a space of openness rather than a fixed statement. It should allow different works and perspectives to exist together without forcing them into one single reading.
2. Openness Needs Structure
At the same time, our discussion showed that openness in curating is not simple. Wanting to be inclusive does not mean that everything can automatically fit together. We still had to make decisions about which works to include, how they relate to one another, and how the exhibition could remain clear for an audience. This made me realise that collective curating depends not only on sharing ideas, but also on shaping them carefully.
What I found most useful this week was seeing how the theme became more than just a title. It started to act as a structure for thinking about the exhibition itself. Our Shell is not only about protection or shelter, but also about how a collective space can be built through negotiation, flexibility and mutual support.
3.Beyond the Exhibition Space
We also planned to produce an exhibition postcard or leaflet. At first this seemed like a small practical decision, but I think it is actually part of the curatorial work.
If the exhibition is temporary, printed material becomes one way it continues beyond the room. At the same time, this raises a more critical question: can a postcard or leaflet really communicate an exhibition built around openness and collective process, or does it risk flattening that complexity into a simple visual identity? I think this is where the project becomes more interesting. Our Shell is not only about what we display, but also about how we mediate the exhibition to others.
Because of this, I started to see exhibition materials not as secondary design work, but as part of the curatorial process itself.
Ji Ju Collective discussion materials and planning notes developed during Week 8 at Summerhall, focusing on exhibition selection, event timing, and printed materials for public engagement.
Ji Ju Collective discussion materials and planning notes developed during Week 8 at Summerhall, focusing on exhibition selection, event timing, and printed materials for public engagement.
Ji Ju Collective discussion materials and planning notes developed during Week 8 at Summerhall, focusing on exhibition selection, event timing, and printed materials for public engagement.
Ji Ju Collective discussion materials and planning notes developed during Week 8 at Summerhall, focusing on exhibition selection, event timing, and printed materials for public engagement.
