ex ‧ hi ‧ bi ‧ tion W2 AC /ˌeksəˈbɪʃ ə n, ˌeksɪˈbɪʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ exhibition , ↑ exhibitor , ↑ exhibit ; verb : ↑ exhibit ]
1 . [countable] especially British English a show of paintings, photographs, or other objects that people can go to see
exhibition of
an exhibition of black and white photographs
stage/mount/hold etc an exhibition
The museum is staging an exhibition of Picasso’s work.
2 . [uncountable] when something such as a painting is shown in a public place
exhibition of
She never agreed to the public exhibition of her sculptures while she was still alive.
on exhibition
A collection of paintings by David Hockney is on exhibition at the Museum of Art.
3 . exhibition of something a situation in which someone shows a particular skill, feeling, or type of behaviour SYN display :
I’ve never seen such an exhibition of jealousy.
4 . make an exhibition of yourself to behave in a silly or embarrassing way SYN make a fool of yourself
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have an exhibition
The college is having an exhibition of the students’ work in April.
▪ hold/mount/stage an exhibition formal (=have an exhibition)
Hayward Gallery is mounting an impressive exhibition of new British artists.
▪ put on an exhibition (=have an exhibition)
Last summer the museum put on some wonderful exhibitions for children.
▪ host an exhibition formal (=provide the place for an exhibition)
Boston’s Museum of Fine Art hosts temporary exhibitions alongside its permanent collection.
▪ go to an exhibition ( also attend/visit an exhibition formal )
We went to an exhibition of Russian art at the National Gallery.
▪ see an exhibition
We also saw an exhibition of paintings by Sydney Lough Thompson, a New Zealand artist.
▪ arrange/organize an exhibition
The trust arranged an exhibition of his drawings in New York.
▪ promote an exhibition (=tell the public about it)
Our press officer contacted the local radio and TV stations to promote the exhibition.
■ adjectives
▪ a big/large exhibition
This is the largest exhibition of its kind that we have ever seen in London.
▪ an important exhibition
an important exhibition of twentieth century art
▪ a major exhibition (=large and important)
His work is the subject of a major exhibition at the National Gallery.
▪ a small exhibition
The library held a small exhibition showcasing the work of local artists.
▪ a permanent exhibition
The museum hosts a permanent exhibition of Boston’s history.
▪ a temporary exhibition
Temporary exhibitions are usually held in the basement.
▪ a touring/travelling exhibition (=one that moves from place to place)
The touring exhibition is scheduled to be in Dallas from March until June.
▪ a retrospective exhibition (=one that shows work from the past)
a retrospective exhibition celebrating 150 years of photography
■ exhibition + NOUN
▪ an exhibition centre British English , an exhibition center American English (=a large building for holding exhibitions)
The exhibition will be held in the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
▪ an exhibition hall
There’s a large exhibition hall on the ground floor.
▪ an exhibition stand (=a stand for showing things at an exhibition)
He took up his position at the exhibition stand.
▪ exhibition space (=space where exhibitions can be held)
The building provides 125,000 square metres of exhibition space in 12 halls.
▪ an exhibition venue (=a place where exhibitions can be held)
We are still looking for suitable exhibition venues.
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THESAURUS
▪ exhibition an event at which a collection of paintings, interesting objects etc are shown to the public for a period of time:
All the photographs in the exhibition are for sale.
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The Great Outdoors Exhibition is a great place to find out about new outdoors activities.
▪ show an exhibition. Show is less formal than exhibition . It can be used about small events as well as big public ones:
The artist is preparing a show at the Museum of Modern Art.
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He is putting on a one-man show in a local gallery.
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a trade show
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the London Motor Show at Earl’s Court
▪ exhibit American English an exhibition:
an exhibit of Western paintings and sculptures
▪ fair an event at which people or businesses show or sell their products, which is often not open to the public:
the Frankfurt Book Fair for publishers and the media
▪ exposition a large and important public event at which people or businesses show or sell their products:
177 galleries from nineteen countries will take part in the Chicago International Art Exposition.