Exhibit Proposal

Interactive Map Exhibit

We propose an online or in-person interactive map exhibit displaying the various geographic locations that inspired Giovanna Garzoni’s artwork. Locations relevant to Garzoni’s work would have a pinpoint indicated on the map, which would provide viewers with a broader understanding of the sources of Garzoni’s inspiration and travels. The map would allow visitors to click on a specific location and see Garzoni’s artworks relating to the area selected. For example, Garzoni painted a portrait miniature of Zaga Christ, an Ethiopian traveller, that Christ is suspected to have commissioned as a gift to the French court [1]. This portrait would be a clickable popup linked to Ethiopia on the map. Furthermore, this proposal would build on previous scholarship mapping Garzoni’s travels, namely “The Global Imagination of Giovanna Garzoni,” which has been developed by Dana Hogan in partnership with the Wired! Lab for Digital Art History and Visual Culture at Duke University [2]. 

The above example is just one of many anecdotes of the global influence on Garzoni’s art. The interactive map would be created using software like MapBox for a more customizable interface that could be imported to any platform. To maximize accessibility, the map would be posted to a mobile-friendly website, and publicized through social media. The map would also be an interactive touchscreen exhibit occupying the space of a digital wall in a museum or educational space. Creating an interactive map accessible through many formats allows viewers to visualize the global influence on Garzoni’s work through an engaging exploration.

Pictured below is a mock-up of the interactive map exhibited in a gallery space. 

Works Cited

[1] Wpengine. “Giovanna Garzoni's 17th-Century Miniature Portrait of Zaga Christ.” Art Herstory. Art Herstory, September 25, 2021. https://artherstory.net/giovanna-garzonis-portrait-of-zaga-christ-%E1%B9%A3agga-kr%C7%9Dstos/.

[2] Hogan, Dana. “The Travels of Giovanna Garzoni:” The Global Imagination of Giovanna Garzoni. Wired! Lab for Digital Art History and Visual Culture at Duke University. Accessed 2021. https://hcvis.dukedh.org/garzoni/.