Prof. Dr Jona Piehl: Exhibition graphics have a direct influence on the spatial narrative. It forges a connection between the observer and the content developed by the curators. Exhibition graphics range from the design of the visitor tour and the labelling and interpretation of the exhibits to wall-to-wall graphics. The largest wall graphic I designed myself, a haute couture timeline for London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, was 13 metres wide and three metres high! Unfortunately, too little research is still being done on the subject of graphics in exhibitions. Yet it is so fundamental for mediation. It is one of the factors that determines what people perceive in an exhibition, whether they find their way around, whether they remain curious, whether they learn something that they remember and whether they are prepared to enter into an exchange.

On an exhibition, of course! I am analysing the graphics used in the permanent exhibition of the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden. On the one hand, the aim is to understand which visual strategies are currently in use and how they are employed. On the other, I wish to speculate on how these visual strategies could develop further in terms of graphics; here I draw on my practice as a designer. So I’m currently spending a lot of time in exhibition spaces. I analyse the various exhibition design elements, talk to visitors and those involved in the museum’s exhibition work and document my observations. It’s great to be able to engage so intensively with an exhibition in the context of its institution, and also to be able to test methods in a kind of real-life laboratory, in other words, to test the extent to which design practice can be made methodologically and analytically productive in academic work. This is interesting for the museum because it offers an outside view of its own work and can provide impetus for new developments.

Although I really enjoy teaching, it is a welcome break. The research semester allows me to leave the teaching rhythm for six months. I have time for reflection, for intensive discussion of content, I get new ideas and can find out about the latest developments in my subject at meetings and conferences. It’s a form of further academic training, if you like. And it’s definitely a kind of new start, although of course I haven’t left HTW Berlin completely. Some projects are continuing, and we are also currently setting up a new Master’s programme in the department, with which I am involved. All in all: I know that I will return inspired.

Yes, definitely. My teaching will benefit from this in many ways. In terms of content, of course, because I have the opportunity to develop my subject further, but also in practical terms: new contacts have already been made. The close cooperation with museums is very often the basis for student projects, especially in my case.

In principle, you can apply for a sabbatical at HTW Berlin every four years. In an application, you set out what exactly you intend to do, deciding whether you want to pursue a research project or an artistic development project, or whether you want to use the time to renew your experience and knowledge of professional practice. The applications are reviewed and evaluated by an internal departmental committee and then approved at university level. During the sabbatical, my courses are taken over by external lecturers. I looked for suitable people in advance and approached them personally, because I naturally want to know that my students are in good hands. Having substitute lecturers during the research semester is also an excellent opportunity to bring designers into the degree programme who can offer other specialist focal points, especially for project modules. In the end, the students also benefit!