The artworks of an artist are often not kept for an exhibition not because of their quality, but because of their style that does not match with the place of exhibition.
Exhibition places in France
There are six categories of exhibition places :
Galleries
Active museums concerning modern art
Modern art centers
Uncommon, alternative and new cultural places
Art galleries
Three categories of gallery exist :
– The gallery takes a percentage on the sales, the artist does not have expenses.
It is the ideal option. In this case, the artist does not have expenses to pay, the merchant authenticates the worth of the artist’s work and will help her/him to develop her/his renown. The artist avoids of course any exclusive contract.
This merchant, which is devoted to one style, has her/his own customers. He is known not only by collectors but also by critics, art historians and curators. The gallery invests to show the best presentation of these artworks in catalogues and invitation cards.
In compensation for this work, the gallery will take generally 50 % on the sales.
– The gallery takes a percentage on the sales, the artist completes the budget dedicated to the promotion.
Sometimes, the gallery can not take in charge all the promotion costs of an exhibition. For example, a personal exhibition in which the merchant covers all the promotion costs. The artist that considers the merchant as a serious person, decides to complete the costs for the publishing of a poster. In this case, the percentage for the gallery can be revised downwards. These transactions are most of the time far from prying eyes and the good name of both of them is preserved.
– The gallery hires the walls .
These galleries exist and it is preferable to talk about them in order to take precautions. The gallery that rents picture rails is to be avoided. A real painting merchant takes risks for an artist if he believes in her/his work and recognizes its worth. In these galleries, the artist will get together her/his relatives, parents and friends...However art critics, curators and art professionals would not visit the exibition, and the reason is simple : to go into these galleries and hang ’artworks’ , you only need to pay ! Why would you pay to exhibit if your work got quality ?
Active museums of modern art
Many museums can plan out of permanent collections temporary exhibitions of modern artists. This is actually the case of many public museums.
These museums can be :
– Listed : They belong to the government or to the local authorities.
– Controled (public or private) : Their status complies with the legislation that requires a precised inventory of collections, their management is guaranteed by curators recognized by the SMF ( Service des musées de France ).
– Uncontrolled : Private, associative or local, thousands museums are in this case.
Artists appreciate the work and the reception of passionate curators. Museums can take in charge all the promotion costs for the exhibition. Sometimes, they also publish great catalogues.
We exhibit in a museum to develop our renown, our prestige. So sales will be organized in another place as it is impossible to sell in museums.
Modern art centers
This place, which does not contain any permanent collection, is made to host immediate creation. It represents the current trends of modern art.
Intermediary places
Now that merchants take less risks, we talk a lot about this method. These places are neither galleries nor museums, they plan temporary exhibitions. They are present in every regions of France. They can be castles, abbeys, wine and spirit storehouses, chapels, firm receptions, banks, hotels, private flats and all other places transformed into museums. This alternative choice should not be neglected as it is a way for the artist to display his work into personal exhibition.
Alternative spaces
Plastic arts but also music, dance, theater and other ways of artistic expression are planned in these places dedicated to young modern art creation.
New cultural places.
Working spaces, meeting spaces and then cultural broadcasting spaces for the short-lived meetings of a project. They are generally abandoned industries in reconversion and suggest spaces for young modern art creation.
We could talk more precisely of these places again and again. Every exhibition is useful if we give it significance and the place it deserves.
See also : www.guides-gratuits.com
