EAP Upper-Intermediate |
Art Exhibitions

  • What art exhibitions have you attended?
    For each:
    • What were the topics addressed?
    • What notable memorable or influential art did you see?
    • How would you describe the exhibition overall?
      • Evocative? Visionary? Controversial? Moving? Impactful? Amateurish? Pretentious?
        • Was it worth the entrance fee?
    • Was the gallery accessible to a wider audience or only to artsy types? How / Why?
      • How could it have been improved?

Warm-up | Experiences

Vocabulary #1 | Basic.
Relating to Art

1 opening a the established works, individuals, or theories that form the historical backbone of a particular discipline or genre
2 curator b the works of art which are always on display in a gallery
3 pieces c a work of art that the gallery has bought recently
4 permanent collection d the skill of arranging multiple elements in a pleasing way
5 gallery assistant e a large international art exhibition held every two years
6 canon f The person who selects and presents artworks for exhibitions
7 composition g works of art
8 stage/hold an exhibition h an event at which people can see an exhibition for the first time
9 handler i display a group of artworks to the public
10 new acquisition j The person who greets visitors and answers questions
11 Biennial The person who carefully packs and unpacks works of art

Vocabulary | Relating to Articles

  • uprisings
  • K-pop
  • Conical
  • feature (v)
  • looped-wire sculpture
  • organic forms
  • Evocative
  • Figures (important people)
  • approach
  • pitfalls
  • Portrait
  • Subjects
  • Drone strikes
  • Body of work
  • Callousness
  • Which exhibition would most appeal to you?
  • Which topics addressed are the most interesting to the wider public today?
    • Do you believe exhibitions should be accessible to the public, or is there a benefit to speaking to specific groups alone?
  • Do you believe you might develop personally in some way through attending?

Warm-up | Exhibitions Agenda

Pre-reading | Predictions

  • The exhibition features...
  • The exhibition / piece / artist references...
  • The piece represents...
  • It describes...
  • ...reflects on themes of...
  • The work reveals...
  • The monument depicts...
    The authors depiction... (+ comment)
  • [The artist] portrays...
  • [This artist] is known for...
  • The work quotes from... (copies directly)
  • The work exemplifies... (serves as an example)
  • The works rehash (reuse lazily)...
  • [Work X] renders [Work Y] Z
  • The collection interprets...
  • [The artist] borrows compositions of...

 

  • It is thought that...
  • The man is believed to be...
  • Have you seen these works before? Does the style remind you of the works of other artists?
  • What do you imagine the exhibition may be about? What is the overall theme?
  • One uses more traditional forms of art, the other less so. Which type would typically pique your interest more?

Reading | Exhibitions

  • First Reading:
    get the general idea of the exhibitions
  • Second Reading:
    label the images as described in the text (titles of pieces)

 

  • Compare information

 

  • Post-reading:
    • Discuss:  Which exhibition speaks to you the most? Why?
    • Some art may be dangerous for society or controversial due to their influence.
    • Do you agree with the messages behind the art?

  • Describe your exhibition, is there an overall theme?

  • How are you merging visual art with sound?

  • What are some notable installations / art works you have curated? Where from? Collections?

  • Can you describe the works, their significance, influence, interpretations?

  • What difficulties have you encountered during the organisation of the exhibition?

"Exhibition Tour"

  • The exhibition features...
  • The exhibition / piece / artist references...
  • The piece represents...
  • It describes...
  • ...reflects on themes of...
  • The work reveals...
  • The monument depicts...
    The authors depiction... (+ comment)
  • [The artist] portrays...
  • [This artist] is known for...
  • The work quotes from... (copies directly)
  • The work exemplifies... (serves as an example)
  • The works rehash (reuse lazily)...
  • [Work X] renders [Work Y] Z
  • The collection interprets...
  • [The artist] borrows compositions of...
  • It is thought that...
  • The man is believed to be...

  • Consider: What do you want visitors to take from the exhibition? How will you enable this through your guide?

    • Who is your target audience? Children? Adults? International visitors? Artsy types?

    • What do your visitors already know about the subject matter (do not patronize them nor make it inaccessible)?

  • Is your tour linear (to listen to in order) or non-linear? How many stops? What is the size of the exhibition? How long would it take to walk from one exhibit to another? Is there space to stand while listening?

    • How would you maintain a linear story in a non-linear exhibition?

    • Would this affect the storytelling, the audio length, and the order?

  • What are your main focal points, and how are they interesting?

    • Which stories will elicit emotion? Do they relate to common personal or contemporary issues?

    • What are the important details (avoid reciting names, dates, and historical facts)?

    • Can you predict questions visitors might ask?

  • Make a plan for your audio guide.

Task: Exhibition "Audio Guide"

EAP Upper-Intermediate | Art Exhibitions

By Adam Wyett

EAP Upper-Intermediate | Art Exhibitions

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