Steve Jobs o Visionàrio | Migliore + Servetto Architects

The exhibition project conceived by Migliore+Servetto Architects for “Steve Jobs o visionàrio” exhibition, created and produced by Fullbrand at the Pier Mauà in Rio de Janeiro and then at the MIS in San Paolo, builds a path of knolewdge structured in narrative cells which allow the visitor from time to time to establish a new relationship with the contents of the exhibition.

Six different set up each one appropriately built on a single curatorial thematic to offer the visitor engaging   key points to interpret the complex personality of Jobs: starting from the research of spirituality, during the first years, until the cinematographic dream embodied by Pixar; from the innovation concept which is the basis of his products, until Apple’s idea of business; from the failures incurred during his working career until the constant competition prompting Jobs continuously experiment and innovate.

At the entrance of the exhibit, the visitor is welcomed by a kaleidoscopic  tunnel which,  through unexpected duplications of the space and dynamic, graphic projections, defines a first, immersive moment, as a decisive stage in the transition process, before entering in the world and Jobs mind.

Beyond this threshold, the cells facing the themes of spirituality, innovation and dream present themselves as huge, narrative cages,  dense and receptive spaces, usable both from the outside and the inside. Large structures which host significant objects of Jobs’ personal world: the books he read and the cd he used to listen to, Pixar sketches and short-movie, the historic Macintosh 1984. This lively narration, supported by historical videos and projects, is counterbalanced by a large pigeonhole presenting and collecting, for each of the three cells, further fragments of Jobs’ world.

In contrast with the close layout taken by these three areas in the space, the visitor gets close to the forthcoming three themes, moving freely along the exhibition area where they are deconstructed and expanded.

The concept of business is represented through a reinterpretation of the Apple store, crystallized in the magic atmosphere, charged with expectations, of the launch of the first Iphone in 2007. All around a rich story is told about the historical evolution of the Apple store, punctured by the scrolling of images and dynamic graphics.

Jobs’ failures, interpreted as crucial stages to reach the success, are represented, instead, through three impressive trunks which, opening themselves, unveil the contraposition between successful project and failure, with rich contents, in-depth documents and videos.

The theme of competition is made real, in the end, through the comparison between Steve Jobs and each of his competitors: from Bill Gates to IBM, from Apple itself till Samsung. Within each of these couples represented by a grand scale reproduction of the two opponents, a historical, documental video shows all the tension of the battle through the power of image.  

At the conclusion of the pathway, the visitors steps into the “agorà dei numeri”, an engaging space where they can discover all Steve Jobs’ numbers. It is here that through interactive monitors and projections, it is possible to establish a dialogue between the visitor and the exhibition: questions and answers in both directions open up to curiosity and insights where each person can freely follow their own interests.

“Faced with such a complex and multi-faceted personality, we conceived the set up as the sum of eight environments which are  very different  one to another, designed in order to let the visitor get closer to each theme in a unique and engaging way.” Ico Migliore e Mara Servetto