Immersive exhibitions in the beginning of the 21st century: understanding theory and practice.

This research investigates the popularity of immersive exhibitionenvironments in the exhibitions of the 21st century. Behind the popularity ofimmersive exhibitions there are contradictions between theoretical frameworksapplicable to immersion and exhibition design practice which were notinvestigated before but promise to shed light on to the foundations ofdesigning immersive exhibitions.Laying on the intersection of exhibition design, scenography,environmental psychology, this research analyses what means immersion inexhibition design. The aims of this research project were to 1). understand whattheories can be applied to enhance immersion through exhibition design, 2).examine how theories can be integrated into design practice, 3). identify whatexhibition designers consider immersive exhibition environments in order todocument opinions of those who lead the field.The findings indicated that applicable to immersion theories are notconsciously applied in practice by exhibition designers, however, the effectswhich designers aim for in their final designers in some ways reflect theconcept of liminality.