Exhibitions. Curation and Design

An exhibition is an intervention in the present tense. Complex work networks converge in its environment that are oriented towards the emergence of new cultural meanings and their connection with the public sphere.

The Master's Degree in Exhibitions. Curation and Design provides the keys to making this enclave based on the intensive collaboration of a wide variety of professional profiles (artists, curators, designers, set designers, mediators, coordinators, and producers) a fruitful environment for the production of social and cultural value.

→ Request an interview

→ From 14 February 2025 to 28 February 2026
→ Friday and Saturday, from 4 pm to 8 pm (online), intensive on-campus courses in July
→ Blended
→ 60 ECTS
→ 9.000 €

Exhibitions. Curation and Design is a continuing education master's degree that offers students the chance to specialise in the curation, design, and production of new formats and exhibition content. From a contemporary perspective, the temporary exhibition is approached as an event that is complex and multi-dimensional, which involves creative and discursive work, mediation, and an intersection with cultural politics.

The Master’s course is comprised of two specialisation diploma, which can also be studied independently:

Specialisation diploma in Exhibition Curation and Mediation (30 ECTS)
Specialisation diploma in Exhibition Design and Production (30 ECTS)

Thinking, creating, and innovating in the field of exhibitions is increasingly a task of managing complexities and transdisciplinary confluence: curation, as a practice related to the organisation of content and the production of discourse; design and art, understood as creative practices that generate and transform spaces; and mediation, as a practice involved in the creation of relationships as well as the configuration of new audiences. These are all elements that must be interrelated to achieve innovative approaches in the configuration, presentation, and activation of cultural proposals.

From this perspective, the programme is proposed as a platform for action based on research, dialogue, experimentation, and critical thinking to have a practical impact on new trends in exhibition design and temporary usage spaces, interactive experimentation, as well as hybrid configurations that allow transcending the more traditional exhibition environment. This platform feeds on the learning generated from the transversal convergence between professionals in curating, art, design, architecture, and other areas of the humanities or sciences that become inspiring while generating content and different ways of sharing them.

Exhibitions. Curation and Design features collaboration from different museums, art galleries, and cultural institutions in Barcelona such as the Disseny Hub Barcelona (DHUB), the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC), the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), and the Filmoteca de Catalunya, among others.

Varied online and in-person classes

The programme is held in an online format throughout the course through live classes through the Microsoft Teams platform that can be followed from anywhere in the world.

Each July, a part of the master's degree is held in person in Barcelona that is related to the development of the Case Studies subject, during which visits and activities are organised in different museums and art centres across Barcelona.

The primary teaching language of the Master's Degree in Exhibitions. Curation and Design is Spanish.

Who it’s aimed at

The master’s degree is aimed at people with university education or professional experience in creative and cultural fields such as design, architecture, art, art history, the humanities, anthropology, sociology, communication and the media, or cultural management. All individuals with sensibility and interest who wish to complement their knowledge in the conception of spaces, the creation of content, or the design of experiences and exhibitions are also eligible to apply to the programme.

Career opportunities

Curation of exhibitions in museums and other cultural institutions.
Exhibition design.
Curatorial projects for ephemeral events such as festivals, fairs, seminars or congresses.
Organisation of public museum programmes, educational activities and community mediation.
Consultancy in the development of exhibition spaces.
Consultancy on heritage musealisation projects.
Mediation in the deployment of educational activities and public programmes.

Aims

Introduce the main currents of thought in the field of curatorial practice and their applicability in different areas of culture.
Provide the conceptual and technical elements to propose exhibition projects based on a combined vision between curation, design, communication, and production.
Provide tools for the research, creation, planning, management, design, and implementation of processes before and after the implementation of specific proposals.
Address the complexity of carrying out projects in real contexts.
Understand the most innovative experiences in the creation of exhibitions and the configuration of production and intermediation processes that impact their configurations in space and transcend them at the same time.
Connect participants in the circuits of art, design, and contemporary architecture related to exhibitions.

Programme

The master's degree in Exhibitions is divided into two specialisation diplomas that can be taken in one or two academic years: the specialisation diploma in Exhibition Curation and Mediation and the specialisation diploma in Exhibition Design and Production. The programme lasts for one year, and is held from February to February, combining an online format, through digital platforms, and in-person learning during an intensive month in Barcelona.

As a whole, the programme provides a research space based on the complementary relationship between theory and practice and its deployment in real, imaginary, or possible contexts. This course is designed as a journey of creation and experimentation between temporary spaces, exhibition experiences, and content configuration. Through case studies, the master's degree offers situations from which participants can gain experience and practice in curation, critical reflection, and design. The modular structure of the programme ensures that it is constantly up-to-date and innovative.

Specialisation Diploma in Exhibition Curation and Mediation

Exhibition Curation (9 ECTS). An introduction to the main aspects of curation and exhibition production.

Trends in curation practice and studies
History and historiography of curation and exhibitions
The exhibition script
Narration
The public sphere
Exhibition formats
Critical perspectives in curation
Curation beyond exhibitions
Exhibitions within the ecosystem of art institutions
The artist-curator

Faculty: Alejandro Alonso Díaz, Olga Fernández López, Oriol Fontdevila, Francisco Godoy, Carles Guerra, Beatriz Herráez, Alexandra Laudo, Àlex Mitrani, Isabel de Naveran, and Laura Vallès Vílchez.

Curation and Mediation (6 ECTS). An introduction to the relational dimension of curation. In this subject, curation is examined as a process of articulating collaborative networks between actors of different natures. Special attention is paid to the public dimension of exhibitions, public policy, working with audiences, and the intersection between curation and art education.

Mediation, beyond cultural mediation
Curation research
Curation, institutions, and cultural policy
Collective and collaborative curation
The educational shift in curation
Education for museums and public programmes

Faculty: Aimar Arriola, Renata Cervetto, Oriol Fontdevila, Yaiza Hernández, Julia Morandeira, Aida Sánchez de Serdio, and Leire Vergara (Bulegoa z/b).

The Curatorial Imagination (6 ECTS). This subject is based on conversations with curation professionals boasting a broad international background. The conversation programme is updated annually to provide an overview of contemporary trends in curation and mediation, as well as to explore some of the major controversies related to the production of public exhibitions and programmes.

The conversations are led by the following faculty members: Manuel Cirauqui, and Rosa León.

The guest curator programme changes each year of the master's degree depending on the lines of work that are established within the programme.

Case Studies in Curation (6 ECTS). This subject is held in person, in the month of July each year of the master's degree, with different museums and art centres in the metropolitan area of Barcelona setting the stage. The subject is based on field visits to each of the facilities. Through various professionals, students come into contact with the respective institutional processes, which are thoroughly investigated.

Faculty: Manuel Cirauqui, Oriol Fontdevila, and Rosa León.

Among the visited facilities, the following permanent collaborators of the master's degree include: the Disseny Hub de Barcelona (DHUB), the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC), the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), and the Filmoteca de Catalunya. The programme also includes a visit to different facilities annually.

Final Project of the Specialisation Diploma in Exhibition Curation and Mediation (3 ECTS). Students develop an autonomous project in relation to exhibition curation and mediation. The project is supervised by a mentoring team and individual and collective work sessions are held.

Faculty: Anna Alcubierre and Oriol Fontdevila, with the possibility of having other postgraduate teaching staff for individual tutoring.

Specialisation Diploma in Exhibition Design and Production

Exhibition Design (9 ECTS). This subject teaches specific conceptual, technical, and technological knowledge related to exhibition design in all its aspects, such as:

Space design
Design and production
Museum resources
Exposure and scenography
Graphic design
Design and communication
Publications
Design for diversity
Design and curation

Faculty: Anna Alcubierre, Javier Nieto, Emiliana (Emili Padrós and Anna Mir), Ignasi Cristià, Roseta Mus, Todojunto (Ricardo Duque and Tiago Pina), Pere Álvaro, Avanti Studio (Alex Dobaño), and Martí Guixé.

Lighting and Digital Formats (6 ECTS). An approach to audiovisual technologies, experimental animation resources, and exhibition lighting. The course presents an exploration of the conceptual and technical possibilities that the digital environment opens up in exhibition design.

Digital formats
Lighting
Audiovisual content and techniques

Faculty: ESTAMPA (Daniel Pitarch and Marcel Pie), ILM (Jordi Moya), Burzon Comenge (Ester Comenge and Albert Burzon), and Anna Alcubierre.

Exhibition Production (6 ECTS). This subject offers broad knowledge of the areas related to the production of temporary exhibitions:

Content coordination and management
Work equipment
Production and assembly
Itineraries
Registration and management of artworks
Preventive storage
Organisation of cultural events

Faculty: Carlota Broggi, Aida Mestres, Silvia Tena, Lavínia Mayer, Tatiana Tarragó, Begoña Sánchez, and Ruth Bagan.

Case Studies in Exhibition Design (6 ECTS). This subject is held in person, in the month of July each year of the master's degree, with different museums and art centres in the metropolitan area of Barcelona setting the stage. The subject is based on field visits to each of the facilities, where various professionals come into contact with the respective institutional processes.

Faculty: Anna Alcubierre and Oriol Fontdevila.

Final Project of the Specialisation Diploma in Exhibition Design and Production (3 ECTS). Students develop an autonomous project in relation to the design and production of exhibitions. The project is supervised by a mentoring team and individual and collective work sessions are held.

Faculty: Anna Alcubierre and Oriol Fontdevila, with the possibility of having other postgraduate teaching staff for individual tutoring.

Full Master's Degree in Exhibitions. Curation and Design

Final Master's Degree Project (6 ECTS). The final master's degree project consists of developing a curatorial project, exhibition design, or mediation project that responds to the student's motivation and independent work. The objective is to conduct a postgraduate project that the student must carry out starting from the second part of the course with tutoring and supervision by participating faculty from the programme itself. The presentation of this project will be made public once the master's degree is completed.

Earning the Full Master's Degree in Exhibitions. Curation and Design involves taking the subjects of the two postgraduate diplomas, the specialisation diploma in Exhibition Curation and Mediation and the specialisation diploma in Exhibition Design and Production. With regard to students who study the full master's degree, the Final Project for the specialisation diploma in Exhibition Curation and Mediation and the Final Project for the specialisation diploma in Exhibition Design and Production subjects will count as a single subject: the Final Master's Degree Project.

Discounts, fees and payment options

5% discount for:

EINA students and alumni.
UAB Alumni

10% discount for:

Members of the Association of Museologists of Catalonia (AMC)
Members of the Association of Professionals of Valencian Illustration (APIV)
Members of the Catalan Association of Art Critics (ACCA)
Members of the Professional Association of Illustrators of Catalonia (APIC)

- Consult the fees for all UAB-specific studies (Masters, Postgraduate and UAB courses

One-time payment option:

100% at the time of acceptance (payment must be made within 10 days of acceptance to guarantee
the reservation of the place)

Fractionated payment option:

50% at the time of acceptance (payment must be made within 10 days of acceptance to guarantee
the reservation of the place)
50%: before 15 days before the start of the course

For further details check on academic info.

Registration