Scenography – or the art of holistic space experience

Uwe Brückner – “Scenography – or the Art of Holistic Space Experience” – NODEM 2014

»Scenography is grown and designed space, symbol and simulation, phenomenon and philosophy, reception and reality, method, metaphor and magic. Scenography is vision that can be experienced.« – Uwe R. Brückner

Scenography is a modern design philosophy featuring holistic, interactive, participatory and ambitious museums architecture and exhibition design. The principle activity of scenography is the translation of given conceptual or material content into the three-dimensionality of a narrative space. No other creative discipline has recourse to such a multi-faceted, integrative range of instruments for designing space as scenography and to create fascinating spatial dramaturgies.

Scenography instrumentalises the tools of architecture, graphic, light, sound and media design, theatre, opera, film, performing and fine arts. What is also of relevance is the extent to which traditional borders between the different disciplines are dissolving and reforming. Space, with its potential for scene setting and narration, is the central medium of scenography; it is used as an instrument itself and can orchestrate all other instruments as well – integratively, in the sense of a „Gesamtkunstwerk“. Scenography is a universal design discipline. It unites logic and magic.