Exhibition as a visual tool for the anthropological interpretation of social interactions in urban space

Abstract

Today, various visual tools are increasingly used not only to document information or illustrate academic texts in the social sciences and humanities, but also as independent forms of presenting research findings - making them more accessible and engaging for a broader audience. One such form of visualization is the exhibition. This paper analyzes several exhibitions created by Gonzo: Research&Art Studio (Saint Petersburg). Addressing themes such as spiritual practices and religious experience, family memory, intercultural dialogue, relationships with the Other, and life in closed mental health institutions, the team deliberately transcends the boundaries of traditional exhibition spaces by moving into the urban environment. By placing exhibitions in unexpected locations such as shopping malls or city markets, they aim to make the invisible visible, give voice to those typically silenced, and build bridges between worlds that rarely intersect in everyday life. In a conversation with Gonzo co-founder Ksenia Diodorova, we explored a wide range of topics, including the emergence of the exhibition concept itself, field research design and the interpretation of collected material, the artistic embodiment of these interpretations, and interactions with visitors and their feedback. This case study offers an opportunity to examine the exhibition as a distinct medium of anthropological knowledge - situated at the intersection of visual and urban anthropology, art and science, multicultural studies, the social turn in art, and participatory aesthetics. The main conclusion highlights the heuristic and humanistic potential of the exhibition format in addressing complex and often contentious aspects of social interaction, and its promise as a medium for synthesizing scientific and artistic approaches to knowledge production.