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set has little similarity to the way a Chinese stage looks. Peking Opera, for instance,
does with just a table and a chair as the props on an otherwise bare stage. Based on
this, there is very little scope. In the end, I found the scope I wanted in the tradition
of the shadow play. The result was a U-shaped version of the Great Wall which enclo-
ses the exhibition area and is the background of three installations: individual silhou-
ettes of an artisan’s hut, a Chinese temple and the CCTV Tower. Each of these silhou-
ettes in turn stands for the already mentioned sections of the exhibition (arts and
crafts, history and modern China). The exhibits are placed at varying heights into cir-
cular cut outs at the back wall and in the showcases. The objects are surrounded by
the red colour which is omnipresent in China like in my exhibition. At interactive sta-
tions, visitors are invited to practice calligraphy, feel types of silk and enjoy the scents
of varieties of tea.

The implementation requires good communication

The team which was responsible for the implementation of the exhibition concept
consisted of a graphic designer and draughtsman, the workmen and of me as the plan-
ner. As the team, we were constantly in close dialogue with the clients, the director of
the museum and the museum educator. We started the planning in April and set the
date for the exhibition opening for the beginning of October. From meeting to meeting,
what the exhibition was going to really look like in the end became increasingly more
tangible after selecting the materials, colours, graphic representations and the arran-
gements of the exhibits. However, my initial ideas and the associated details on the
theme of “shadow play” disappeared from my design. This was due to the construc-
tional expenditure and the budget. I had to coordinate my plans with the colleagues
and to find a common denominator while, at the same time, not losing sight of the ef-
fect of my design on the visitors. During the implementation, I was co-responsible for
the representation of the exhibition in the plans with layouts and views as well as for
the vector graphics of the Great Wall and the installations. The museum educator and
I jointly chose the individual exhibits, divided them into sections, assigned the corre-
sponding positions and finally placed them. The proportions of the circular cut outs
compared to the graphics and the exhibit labelling were coordinated. A further major
topic was the use of light. Each exhibit required its own light source. In the process,
very much attention had to be paid to the texture and the colour of the object as well
as to the colour and the brightness of the light itself. The Great Wall was entirely illu-
minated with track-mounted spotlights which, in part, were also used for the general
lighting in the exhibition. Consultations within the team were a priority for me in this
respect. That was why I made a point of continuously informing the team members
and the clients of the project’s further development.

With more project experience, one gains experience in the procedure

An important insight I was able to gain while working on this project is that one had
better integrate and plan even more into the design beforehand since, in the end, cuts
are always highly likely due to the budget. Thus one should, after all, plan with the
motto in mind: “Be as creative as possible no matter how little funds are available.”
As in many private projects as well, for me it was essential to retain a complete over-
view at all times. It was important to coordinate the individual sectors and to keep an
eye on the activities of all the participants. This is easy in the case of the workmen
with whom one is dealing on site. As soon as, however, everyone works autonomously
and separately, it becomes more difficult not to lose this necessary overview. I felt it
was a challenge to find the balance in the dialogue with the clients – to decide which
planning development I should include in the information to them and which can, at
first, be held back since the respective decisions may still be changed. Planning in ad-
vance but deciding in the present circumstances on site is part of a lot of experience I
had so far not been able to gain. Since I was the point of contact within the project, it
was also my task to deal with all the team members. Fortunately, I have a flair for ca-
tering to people in just such situations. This helped me to quickly establish whether a
talk is running in the right direction for all those present and to make corrections if
necessary. The most important aspect for me in the “China’s Red” project was the self-
responsibility and the autonomy. Since I myself wanted to achieve the best possible
result, this was also my own incentive which helped me during the whole time to
never lose sight of the focus on the final implementation of this exhibition.