Exhibre

Exhibre is a term used in discussions of digital curation to describe a framework or platform for designing, hosting, and experiencing exhibitions in online or hybrid environments. The concept is oriented toward modularity, interoperability, and accessible presentation, enabling curators to assemble exhibits from disparate digital assets and present them across devices.

Origin and usage: Exhibre is a neologism without a single official definition. It appears in professional discussions and some project proposals as a way to describe curated, digital-first exhibitions. Different communities emphasize varying aspects, from technical infrastructure to interpretive storytelling.

Technical characteristics: In practice, exhibre projects often rely on open standards for media and metadata, such as the IIIF for images and transcripts, CIDOC CRM for provenance, and Dublin Core for basic metadata. The approach stresses modular exhibit units or interpretive panels that can be rearranged without changing underlying assets. Accessibility considerations, such as screen reader compatibility and captioning, are also emphasized.

Applications: Museums, galleries, archives, and educational institutions use exhibre-inspired approaches to publish online exhibitions, virtual tours, and hybrid shows. It also supports educational workflows, permitting students to assemble and annotate collections. Some projects explore interactive features like timelines, search facets, and 3D object views.

Limitations and challenges: Because exhibre is not a standardized framework, implementations vary in quality and interoperability. Common issues include rights management, licensing, long-term preservation, and ensuring equitable access across technologies.