The CHaSSMM Model of Analysis
A Framework for the design of ‘difficult’ exhibitions
Willhemina Wahlin, Charles Sturt University

Abstract from 2021 SEGD Communication + Place
This paper examines the role of the designer in the creation of ‘difficult’ exhibitions: those that contain information related to genocide, gender violence, contested histories, war or death. Difficult exhibitions can also be viewed as a performance of ideology in the world, containing their own intrinsic power structures. Difficult exhibitions present a unique set of challenges for designers, who engage in a type of ‘double-ended’ interpretation of living history, testimonies of trauma, and complex stakeholder interests. This paper presents the CHaSSMM Model of analysis as a framework for difficult exhibition designers to consider. Based on a theoretical foundation that combines Critical Hermeneutics with Social Semiotics and Multimodality, the aim of the CHaSSMM Model is to provide a practical scaffold to support design practice in this specific but growing field of exhibiting.
 

Read more in the 2021 SEGD Communication + Place journal and other papers at https://segd.org/academic-design-research.

Communication + Place is the official research journal of the Experiential Graphic Design community. Published online, the journal features articles from both academics and professionals advancing the XGD profession through creative research, curriculum development, project reviews, and user-centric testing.