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Curatorial Visions
T 06.02
Pecha Kucha Presentations (Groups 1-11)
Th 06.04
Pecha Kucha Presentations (Groups 12-22)
What is PechaKucha?
PechaKucha is the Japanese word for conversation or “chit chat.” Created by two architects in Tokyo who were tired of dreadful PowerPoint presentations, PechaKucha is designed to force speakers to prepare shorter, more creative, and more polished presentations. More importantly, designing a PechaKucha presentation motivates speakers to think about their subjects in very different ways.
What are the characteristics of PechaKucha?
- A presentation is created using PowerPoint (or any other presentation software).
- Presenters are only allowed 20 slides and those slides must automatically advance every 20 seconds (thus the “20 x 20” label).
- Consequently, presentations should never be longer than 6 minutes 40 seconds.
- Because of this format, the PowerPoint slideshow must depend on visuals, rather than
text-heavy slides. This is one of the best characteristics since speakers often abuse
text in slideshows.
- Presentations are expected to have structure, including an introduction and conclusion
and an internal structure (clear main points, transitions) that will guide the audience through the slide show. In other words, the words and the visuals should complement each other rather than just mirroring each other.
- Presentations are expected to be polished and engaging. Because of the time constraints, the auto-advancing slides, and the format, speakers should spend more time planning and practicing their presentations.
- Audiences are more likely to be engaged. It’s sad, but true—we don’t have a very long attention span. Consequently, speakers need experience presenting their ideas in a short period of time and in a more creative, engaging way.
PechaKucha website
This is the official PechaKucha website, where you can watch sample presentations.
PechaKucha presentation on Feminist Asian American artist Su-En Wong
This example from the PechaKucha website will give you a good sense of a presentation on a topic related to the course. Keep in mind, however, that your presentation should not be about a single artist (or set of artists) but about your exhibit proposal.
A PechaKucha about PechaKucha
This presentation gives a good overview of the format and how to prepare a presentation (forgive his humor with slides like “Dude’s Law). Especially useful are his tips on staying away from your computer in the development stage and using index cards to storyboard your ideas and develop a thoughtful narrative flow.
PechaKucha on creating and presenting a PechaKucha
Matthew Bird, an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design, gives pointers based on what he’s learned from having students in his History of Industrial Design class present using the PechaKucha format.
How to create a PechaKucha using PowerPoint
This YouTube how-to video is boring and technical, but in three minutes it will walk you through the basics of how to create twenty slides in PowerPoint and set up the twenty second timing.
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