As Seen: Exhibitions that Made Architecture and Design History is one of the first publications to explore the influence of architecture and design exhibitions long after their closing date. Exhibitions have played a crucial role in defining disciplinary histories. They mark pivotal moments in time, articulate points of urgency, suggest future directions, and document the environment in which new narratives or arguments unfold. At a moment when the fields of architecture and design, spurred by a multitude of cross-cultural and global conversations, are opening up to new definitions, ways of working, and design and production processes, this publication highlights how an exhibition can reflect on current dilemmas, identify alternatives, and imagine architecture and design's implications for everyday life.

Zoë Ryan is the John H. Bryan Chair and Curator of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago. Since joining the museum in 2006 she has been building the museum's first collection of contemporary design in addition to expanding its holdings of twentieth- and twenty-first-century architecture. Her recent exhibitions include a major mid-career survey exhibition on the work of architect David Adjaye, September 2015 through January 2016. In 2014, Ryan was the curator of the 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial. Prior to working at the museum, Ryan was senior curator at the Van Alen Institute in New York. She is often called upon as a juror and critic and has lectured on her work internationally. In fall 2012, Fast Company magazine named her one of the fifty people shaping the future of design. She teaches a graduate seminar in design history at the School of the Art Institute and at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Founded in 1879, the Art Institute of Chicago collects, preserves, and interprets works of art of the highest quality, representing the world's diverse artistic traditions, for the inspiration and education of the public and in accordance with our profession's highest ethical standards and practices.