Investigating Art Exhibition Catalogue Design as a Creative Expression in Itself - Case of Dry Bones Shall Rise Again Catalogue

This paper explores the evolving role of the art exhibition catalogue beyond its traditional function as a documentary tool or promotional material. Using qualitative approach, it argues that catalogues can transcend their utilitarian purposes to become autonomous creative artefacts, capable of standing alongside the artworks they document as expressions of intellectual and artistic engagement. Framing catalogue design as a form of creative research output, the study positions it within the growing academic discourse on practice-based research, where the creative process and its outcomes are both integral to scholarly inquiry. By focusing on the curatorial vision, conceptual depth and reflective content embedded within exhibition catalogues, this research advocates for their recognition as legitimate contributions to knowledge and practice in the fields of visual arts, design and communication. Using the case of Dry Bones Shall Rise Again, the study initiates a conversation on the inclusion of such catalogues in academic promotion criteria, especially in art and design faculties where practice-led contributions are often undervalued. The paper calls for institutions to broaden evaluation frameworks to include creative and curatorial productions as valid scholarly outputs. In doing so, it emphasizes the
need for a more inclusive understanding of academic productivity, one that reflects the dynamic interplay between theory and practice and that values artistic expression as a form of research in its own right.