After an exhibition closes, how can the construction materials used to present it be repurposed? Depending on a museum’s storage space, temporary walls can be reused for multiple exhibitions.
Temporary wall components stored for reuse.
The Future of Design
Repurposing Exhibition Materials
The Princeton University Art Museum maintains an inventory of temporary walls, pedestals, and cases and routinely assesses which can be repurposed for future exhibitions. Princeton reuses its temporary walls approximately five times before disposing of them, typically because they degrade materially or because storage is no longer viable. This greatly reduces the Museum’s consumption of installation materials.
Temporary exhibition components can also be given to nearby universities, organizations, or businesses; Princeton regularly does so. Museums might additionally partner with engineers to improve the long-term utility of existing materials and advocate for the development of new ones that are more environmentally sustainable.