Theresa Steiner, MA

What are you currently working on? 

We’re currently working on the first exhibition at the newly opened VISTA Science Experience Center in Klosterneuburg. When I think back to last year, before the opening, we really had to do everything: we selected companies we wanted to work with, looked for artists and designers to translate our objects into space, talked to scientists and conducted lots of interviews – with questions like: What are you actually researching? Can you explain it to me as if I were five years old? My job is very much about engaging in dialogue. It’s incredibly exciting to talk to so many different people – quantum physicists as well as researchers who study ants. I find it a wonderful and varied profession. At the same time, however, there are also many project management aspects: writing lots of emails, checking whether the graphic designers are doing what they are supposed to, whether the exhibition architecture is working at the right interfaces and whether everything is on schedule.

What does your typical working day look like? 

We are a team of three curators. On Mondays, we always start with our regular meeting, where we discuss what still needs to be done, review the current status and carefully coordinate our content with the scientists in the team. Our goal is to talk about research without explaining it in a dry way. We want to make the abstract more tangible and convey science as a process. This is very important to us because trusting science is something that happens above all when people understand that science is temporary and that it means progress and change. That is exactly what we want to show clearly in the exhibition.

What is important to you in a design project? 

First comes obviously a research phase: You look at what already exists, what the basic idea is and whether the briefing makes sense at all – does it fit with what the client wants? One thing is clear – you can’t do exhibitions on your own. I think that’s one of the reasons why I love my work so much: teamwork is incredibly enriching for me. This ping-pong effect, the exchange of different perspectives with colleagues and clients, prevents tunnel vision. Often, I am not the target audience for what I am developing. That makes it all the more important to see the reactions of others: Does the other person understand what I am designing? Does it work in reality the way I imagine it? That is absolutely essential to the process.

Are there any tools or methods that have proven particularly effective in your practice? 

What has always worked for me is working with prototypes – in whatever form. Whether I print things out and hang them on the wall to check whether the text size works in the room, or whether I build models or even entire walls: It’s important for me to always bring the designs into the room. I then ask myself: Does what I want to design actually work in this space? Does it work for my target audience? This approach has been an integral part of every one of my processes so far. Prototyping takes the designs away from the theoretical level and makes things tangible even for non-designers.

What skills do you need as a designer today? 

I feel that nowadays, collaboration is very important – the image of the lonely genius is a thing of the past. People want to work more in teams because they realise how many new perspectives this creates and how much knowledge is shared. Exhibition design simply does not work without interdisciplinary work. There are so many different areas that come together, and you have to accept that you can’t be an expert in everything – you’d have to be a genius for that. You need artists, architects, restorers, graphic designers, and scientific staff. For me, exhibition design is the epitome of interdisciplinary work.

How did your transition from university to the professional world go? 

Smoothly. I wrote my Master’s thesis and started at CIS at the same time – back then for an exhibition during Design Month. It was a really enjoyable mix of project management and creative work. After that, I moved to Vienna and, following a short period of soul-searching, I was self-employed for a while until I ended up at Nofrontiere. The great thing about working at this agency was that I was able to work on lots of different projects. For example, I helped design an exhibition for ÖBB, where I also had a big say in the content. That was my first step into the world of curating. I was also very lucky: The art director at the time moved to New York, and suddenly I took over her position. It only took six months between my application and taking on the role of Art Director!

What do you remember most about your Master’s studies? 

Overall, I found it extremely important to realise that I originally came from a design bubble – and that’s exactly why these cultural and artistic influences during my studies were incredibly valuable to me. I was particularly impressed, for example, by the depth with which someone like Erika Thümmel taught materials science. It was a great privilege to acquire this knowledge. The programme also provided me with excellent connections for jobs and a strong network. When I later moved to Vienna, I realised how much harder it was to connect with people there. The university network, knowledge, learning about storytelling in a space, and the ability to see things from different perspectives – all of this has shaped my creative approach to work. The friendships I made during this time are also very valuable to me. I also learned how different interfaces work in exhibition design. And besides the ability to engage in dialogue with a wide variety of people, that is exactly what is most important to me in my work in exhibition design today.

Do you see a future in this field? 

Absolutely – and on many levels! On the one hand, there are companies and museums that are vying for attention and have to constantly reinvent themselves and clearly define their identity in order to stay relevant. On the other hand, there’s internal communication: small exhibitions, and in-house presentations. A branded setting that really engages people can have a huge impact here. For example, we once designed a container for a large Austrian construction company, which then toured trade fairs. The big question was: How do you come across as cool and authentic as a company without being artificial? And that’s exactly what it’s all about: In exhibition design you have to inform and captivate at the same time. That requires storytellers – and that’s where I come in!