The CSC is dedicated to sharing and providing working examples of the research we undertake. Check out our many toolkits and resources as you develop your exhibitions.
Tutorials dive deeper into our material research and strategies for exhibition.
Disclaimer: These online tutorials are produced by the Centre for Sustainable Curating to share our ongoing experiments with sustainable materials. The content is provided for informational purposes only, and any advice or techniques presented are to be used at your own risk. Outcomes may vary, and we strongly recommend conducting your own tests before applying any methods and carefully reading the safety instructions for any materials. These images are not sponsored by, nor do we receive commissions from, any brands mentioned. We hope you enjoy and learn from this free resource.
Sustainable Gallery Signage: Experiments with Materials:
In Winter 2026, the Art History/Museum and Curatorial Studies course 3674F/G – SUSTAINABILITY AND ART spent time experimenting with sustainable exhibition signage. Testing a number of recipes and materials, students contributed to the CSC’s ongoing research into sustainable alternatives for gallery and museum exhibitions.
Documentation reveals the characteristics of various materials applied to walls at various dilutions and are helpful to use as a guide. Every wall can act differently–especially over time with a build up of paint–we found that glossy paint provided the easiest backdrop for removal.
We recommend doing your own patch tests before committing to materials.
In all cases, materials were removed using a spray bottle with water and damp sponge. In some cases, an additional layer of paint was required after removal.
Our experiments continue, so visit this page for future updates. If you’re interested in any of these approaches, let us know and we will conduct further tests.
Below are some of the student’s findings:
Ease of watercolour removal depended on the colour, for example, students found that blue needed to be covered with paint after removal with a wet sponge. Students tried mixing nori paste and watercolours, which helped with removal, but created dripping that was hard to control.
As mixtures included increasing amounts of starch paste it was harder to control application on the wall.
Students found the egg tempura washed off the wall and off Plexiglas surprisingly well. We will conduct additional experiments as these results were unexpectedly positive. Removal was straightforward even for saturated colours.
Even with significant amounts of starch paste, turmeric left significant stains of the wall.
Spirulina proved remarkably easy to remove from the wall and wiped off easily leaving virtually no residue.
While students were testing for a particular three-dimensional look, both naturally sourced and manufactured clay (which included dye) were relatively easy to work with and to remove. The letters dried and cracked over time, though not as much as expected.
