On view at the Design Museum this fall
The UC Davis Design Museum opens its 2025-2026 season with Embodiment, an installation which incorporates theatrical and narrative design practices. This unique project opens Oct. 8.
Created and curated by graduate student Emily Tonnos (M.F.A. Design), the installation explores the intersectionality of exhibition, theatrical and narrative design practices to create an immersive experience through human emotion, multisensory perception, and a journey through personal struggle and growth.
"By crafting the environment of space, building all the props, and developing a narrative, I hope to show visitors the value in how physical multisensory exhibitions can be used to bring messages to life, and how this can be possible in a unique way by using theatrical practices to create immersive experiences," Tonnos said. "I hope that Embodiment shows that by uniting different design disciplines and seeing how they can be changed and used in tandem with each other, we can reflect on how this beauty of change and togetherness mirrors itself in our personal lives too.”
Tonnos, a multidisciplinary designer with a passion for narrative experience design, uses storytelling as a design mechanism. She has experience working to design various architectures, exhibits and themed spaces with specialized skills in 3D modeling, prototyping and scenography. As a competitive figure skater and Disney College Program alum, Tonnos’ interests in theater and themed experiences fuel her love for design.
Running Oct. 8 through Nov. 5, the installation may be accessed Tuesday - Thursday evenings at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the museum, 124 Cruess Hall. The experience is free and open to all, but registration is required. Book your ticket.
Opening in January 2026 at the Design Museum, Village Homes: A Radical Plan, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of an innovative west Davis community.
The Design Museum in the Department of Design is part of the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis.
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