Andrea Sartori
Goppion Technology
Italy, Trezzano sul Naviglio
Andrea is an active ICOM member and regularly attends the ICOM General Conferences. He has a degree in Classics from the Università degli Studi di Milano and a specialized diploma in Archeology, and he worked for ten years at Milan’s Museo Archeologico as a curator of the classical archeology section.
Andrea joined Goppion in 2002 works alongside Sandro Goppion, in museum studies, coordinating special projects, managing relationships with museums and universities, and putting together Goppion’s catalogues and publications.
Showcases and space
The specificity of each museum is defined, in addition to its cultural and social identity, by the organization of its spaces and the relationship they establish with visitors. The space of the museum is determined by the architecture of the building in which it is located, the shape and characteristics of the display cases and the arrangement of these and other display units to create the visitor path. All of this generates relationships, different from time to time, between the works on display and the environment that houses them, the works on display and the visitors, and the visitors among themselves.
The role that the showcase plays, as a mediator between the visitor and the works, is fundamental. Thus the showcase custom-built around a work can isolate it and enhance its uniqueness, while large architectural showcases highlight the relationships between objects and recreate the original contexts. In the latter case, an important role is played by the organization of the interior space and its layout, which must ensure the legibility of the works in every detail.
The showcase can be stylistically characterized to emphasize its contribution to the museum's cultural message or cancel itself out, in total transparency, to encourage direct dialogue between visitor and objects or between objects and the exhibition environment whose style it can sometimes recall.
The design of museum spaces and paths must take into account the key concepts of proxemics and the need to strike a balance between presenting objects effectively and engagingly and the convenience and comfort of visitors, for whom it is essential not to feel oppressed or too close to one another.
The variety of environments within the museum-open spaces, lounging areas, refreshment stations, interactive zones, and contemplation spaces-all allow everyone to enjoy different experiences and find the spaces best suited to their needs.
Likewise, the clear and well-marked organization of routes facilitates a natural and intuitive flow of visitors, avoiding congested situations and contributing substantially to an enjoyable visitor experience.
space, proxemic, legibility, accessibility, architecture, visit path, context.