RACHEL MURPHY

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM,

LONDON

CREATING THE EXPERIENCE OF

ALEXANDER McQUEEN: SAVAGE

BEAUTY

V&A EXHIBITIONS

V&A Touring

• UK Touring Programme

• International Touring Programme

• Access to V&A Collections

• Breaking new ground and forging

relationships

• Sharing expertise and skills

V&A South Kensington

• World class exhibitions

• Variety of locations at South

Kensington

• Commissions

• Future exhibition galleries

BEHIND THE SCENES OVERVIEW

Exhibition Objectives

• Object selection

• Costume mounting

• Theatrical set

design

• Audio-visual

material

• Show moments

Visitor Objectives

• Maximum impact

• Engage emotionally

• Offer regular

visitors new

experience

• Challenge

expectations

‘The collections at the V&A never fail to intrigue and inspire me.

The nation is privileged to have access to such a resource...

It’s the sort of place I’d like to be shut in overnight.’

Fashion In Motion, 1999 Fashion In Motion, Alexander

McQueen and Shaun Leane, 2001

BACKGROUND TO PROJECT

THE V&A STORY

V&A Cast Courts

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART / PARTNERSHIP WITH ALEXANDER

McQUEEN

Installation view of entrance, Savage Beauty, Metropolitan Museum of Art,

2011

V&A Exhibition:

One third more gallery space, New gallery designs ‘London’ and ‘Primitivism’,

Expanded Cabinet of Curiosities, Enhanced Pepper’s Ghost installation, 66 new

object additions, Publication, Web Feature: The Museum of Savage Beauty

COLLABORATION

V&A Internal departments:

Curatorial, Conservation, Development,

Digital, Exhibitions, Finance, Health &

Safety, Images and Rights, Learning,

Marketing, Museum Events, Photography,

Publications, Press, Security, Technical

Services, VAE Retail, Visitor Services

External collaborators and stakeholders:

Back row: Jefferson Hack, Catherine Brickhill, Daniel

Landin, Trino Verkade, Sarah Burton

Centre row: Guido Palau, Sam Gainsbury, John Gosling,

Sarah Harmarnee, Anne Deniau

Seated front: Shaun Leane, Alexander McQueen

Annie Leibovitz, American Vogue, September 2000

• AMQ archive (garments & 2d material for publication)

• Sarah Burton

• Research trips

• Detective work begins

• Visiting potential lenders

• McQueen Family

• Special commissions

OBJECT SELECTION

EXHIBITION DESIGN

Design team

• Sam Gainsbury

• Joseph Bennett

• Gainsbury &

Whiting

• Guido Palau

• John Gosling

• Daniel Landin

• Michael Nash

Key design changes

• London

• Primitivism

• Cabinet of

Curiosities

• Pepper’s Ghost

installation

THEATRICAL SET DESIGN: Catwalk to Exhibition

MOUNTING COSTUMES

MOUNTING COSTUMES AND ACCESSORIES

MOUNTING COSTUMES AND ACCESSORIES

SUPPORTING AV MATERIAL: Cabinet of Curiosities

The Widows of Culloden, A/W 2006

SHOW MOMENTS: Pepper’s Ghost of Kate Moss

COLLABORATION: Development and Press

Exhibition

sponsors:

• Swarovski

• American

Express

• M.A.C Cosmetics

• Samsung

COLLABORATION: Publication and Digital

• New research (archive access)

• 28 authors (V&A scholars & subject specialists)

• New images

• New photography

• Encyclopaedia of collections

COLLABORATION: Learning & Events and Retail

• 2 day conference with LCF

• Lectures, talks, In

Conversations (Sarah

Burton, Sam Gainsbury,

Katy England)

• Fashion workshops

• UAL student design

competitions

LEGACY

• Gala and Lee Alexander McQueen Fashion

Fund

• Acquisitions

• Website (Museum of Savage Beauty, film

archive)

• Documentation of exhibition for

researchers

• Award Nominations

• Fearless approach to exhibition

presentation

FUTURE EXHIBITIONS: Challenge

expectations