Venue and Space design

Exhibition spaces are much more than white voids accommodating curations – their design suggests how we should move and interact, when to focus and when to relax. They put us in a physical context to the narrative and allow for meaning to unfold beyond written or spoken word.

Simian Metaphors analyses your space, real or virtual, and suggests how your narrative can be best explored and spotlighted in it, within your available budget.

Technology

Stories are mediated to us via technology: Screens and loudspeakers, but also text boards and lighting lead us to relevant information, and often decide if we become active or passive learners throughout the experience. It is therefore crucial to utilise appropriate media at the right time, and make sure audiences connect to them intuitively.

Simian Metaphors provides you with an overview of your technological options and helps you weigh them up, always seeking to maximize immersion for your audiences.

Narrative, exhibits and imagery

Telling stories is never just about reciting information - they establish relationships: Between the story teller and the audience, the subjects under investigation, society at large and the more-than-human universe. Meaningful stories appeal to our understanding of who we are and can unlock new ways of seeing the world and ourselves in it.

For a narrative to become personally relevant and transformative, it needs to resonate. Simian Metaphors reviews the structure, language and message of your narrative and takes a closer look at its visual elements, such as exhibits, photographs and artworks. Special attention is given to data visualizations, helping you find the nexus between accurate depiction and intuitive design.

Donor relations / Liaison

Exhibitions and events in the cultural and scientific sectors rely on financial backing by appropropriate public and private institutions, as well as individuals.

Understanding donor interests, requirements and motivations is a vital prerequisite to any successful funding acquisition, regular communication and reporting are necessary to maintain engagement and accountability from all stakeholders.

Simian Metaphors helps you prepare and structure your donor liaison activities, and can even support you in finding the right donors for your project.