Recently, I had a duo exhibition in a gallery and till the last week I was frantically completing new work for the exhibition.All the works got ready just days before the opening.I felt I could have planned it better.In retrospect it is important for an exhibiting artist to wear many hats(think event manager, marketing manager, brand manager, project engineer,spokesperson), to focus on some other aspects besides making art, to ensure success of the show .Though these might seem obvious, one must not overlook the role marketing plays in shaping an artist's career. With my experience and after having followed up artist's success stories,I learnt that a successful artist is also a savvy businessman/woman .Though it is imperitive to make powerful work the various ways to reach it to the right audiences is equally significant.More often than not,the gallery does this work for you but an artist cannot afford to delegate this task to the gallery totally and completely.Take charge.
What makes a show successful? the art itself, attendance , media coverage and critiques in reputed publications and sales .
1.Art-: This , according to me ,is of course is THE most important aspect of an exhibition.Firstly the art must be linked to WHO YOU ARE.It may take years to discover who you are and what you are doing here in this world and in the art world, but you will find that getting closer to the answers will help you connect better with your art.After a point you cannot fake it.You and your art are the same entity.
The exhibition must have a strong theme/concept and the artworks must make a collective whole , not be disjointed individual pieces and complement each other even if different media is used by the artist/artists.It helps if the works are made during a certain period, leading to a common thread- a line of thought, style or mediums used, running through the exhibition.
I love exhibitions which have a combination of both 2D and 3D works and there is a certain surprise element . A varied experience makes it interesting for an audience and helps to hold their fleeting attention spans.So increase scale GO BIG BIG or minimize scale GO VERY SMALL, paint the walls black,place mirrors, change the lighting, place LED monitors with videos about the making backwards,create artificial rain(Rain Room MOMA),create movement, create dark or create very colourful. Do something quite different.Be clever.Create something memorable , poignant or dramatic.You are a showman/woman.
Ideally an artist might want to visit the space before starting on the making process, get a feel of the site,and plan how the various works will be placed, the interesting nooks and crannies, ceiling, floor which can be exploited to the artist's advantage.
2.Visiting other exhibitions-:You cannot underestimate the value of attending other exhibitions in the city both for established as well as emerging artists.You might be frightfully shy ,be strapped for time and hate to step out of your studio but believe me, this exercise proves to be fruitful in the long run.It will increase visibility, help you to network with other members of the art world, give you some ideas about the dos and don'ts and hopefully be reciprocated by a visit by the artist at your show.Who knows?You might meet Mr.(or Ms.) Right-a curator who is interested in your work.Maybe.Do not forget to carry your visiting cards.And to brush your teeth.
The exhibition must have a strong theme/concept and the artworks must make a collective whole , not be disjointed individual pieces and complement each other even if different media is used by the artist/artists.It helps if the works are made during a certain period, leading to a common thread- a line of thought, style or mediums used, running through the exhibition.
I love exhibitions which have a combination of both 2D and 3D works and there is a certain surprise element . A varied experience makes it interesting for an audience and helps to hold their fleeting attention spans.So increase scale GO BIG BIG or minimize scale GO VERY SMALL, paint the walls black,place mirrors, change the lighting, place LED monitors with videos about the making backwards,create artificial rain(Rain Room MOMA),create movement, create dark or create very colourful. Do something quite different.Be clever.Create something memorable , poignant or dramatic.You are a showman/woman.
Ideally an artist might want to visit the space before starting on the making process, get a feel of the site,and plan how the various works will be placed, the interesting nooks and crannies, ceiling, floor which can be exploited to the artist's advantage.
2.Visiting other exhibitions-:You cannot underestimate the value of attending other exhibitions in the city both for established as well as emerging artists.You might be frightfully shy ,be strapped for time and hate to step out of your studio but believe me, this exercise proves to be fruitful in the long run.It will increase visibility, help you to network with other members of the art world, give you some ideas about the dos and don'ts and hopefully be reciprocated by a visit by the artist at your show.Who knows?You might meet Mr.(or Ms.) Right-a curator who is interested in your work.Maybe.Do not forget to carry your visiting cards.And to brush your teeth.
3.Find a Curator or let a Curator find you-:It is a win win situation if you exhibition is a curated one.You will have a second opinion, a curator will discuss and ideate, encourage, select artworks,determine the positioning of the work in the gallery and write an article in the catalogue all of which is wonderful... but if there is no curator, you can curate your own show.
4.Pricing-:is an important criteria for sale and it is useful to know whether you want to sell or are exhibiting only for crtical acclaim.If you are exhibiting for a line in your c.v. you can price the works at anything random,does not matter. If you have the intention to sell, price the artwork bearing in mind the potential buyer.Put yourself in the buyer's shoes.If you were the buyer and liked the work, how much would you be willing to pay for it? Remember the wealthy are no idiots... they are doing their math on their laptops and calculating their returns on investments.As you grow in your career, the market will decide the price.
5.Sponsorship is increasingly becoming a source of financial support for artists .This would cover the cost of printing the catalogues, framing and transportation of artwork, procuring material for artwork/ installations or for catering snacks and cocktails for the event(the food is a big draw...many people attend openings because they do not want to cook dinner). Before embarking upon the quest for corporate assistance, it is important to consider why, from whom and how you are going to do it.
Many major exhibitions can take place only because a company has agreed to sponsor the event. This is a fairly new phenomenon in the art world, but it has been commonplace in sport and the theatre for many years. Now, individual artists are beginning to realise that sponsorship can also be sought for their art projects.
It is more important to realise that companies do not involve themselves in sponsorships because they think that the objects of the event are worthwhile. They do so because they have a product or service to promote and to sell and the opportunity to do so will be enhanced by an association with the work or event.
It is more important to realise that companies do not involve themselves in sponsorships because they think that the objects of the event are worthwhile. They do so because they have a product or service to promote and to sell and the opportunity to do so will be enhanced by an association with the work or event.
Gone is patronage. Gone is philanthropy.
For this reason it is not difficult to see why most corporate sponsorships in the visual arts have concentrated upon major exhibitions and the sponsorship of competitions. It is simply a way of maximising corporate exposure. These are events that have an inherent publicity value, that will need to be advertised and promoted widely in order to be successful. Promotion of the event means promotion of the sponsor's public profile which in turn promotes the corporation's products or services.
6.Writing the biography artist statement and concept notes to clearly communicate what the artist wishes to convey is important since it will be in print and can will read many times over and with circulation on the internet, its digital footprint will last for a longtime.It must clearly articulate the artist's intention as well be accurate both in terms of both the facts presented and the language used.Think about using vinyl writing on the walls at the exhibition.Write a statement, a fact, a poem , write something whacky or spinechilling.You also have to think about making labels for artworks with titles, sizes, year of completion and the price list. If the audience is from another country, the writing needs to be translated into another language so you need a translator.
7.Exhibition Title-:the title must ideally come from the artist or the curator since they understand the import of the works best.It should be catchy and sum up what the exhibition is about or perhaps generate a curiosity about the show .The title of the exhibition will remain in the artist's cv and some thought has to go into it.There are and will be many mundane and vague titles floating around like "Spirit of Duality" or "Transgressions of the Soul",or "Symphony of the Elements", "Nostalgia", "Soliloquy" who cares... YAWN!! .I love edgy titles like "Rock ,Paper, Scissors" or "It is All About the Money Honey" or "Its Not You, Its Me" ,"An Autobiography and Other Confessions","Beautiful Inside My Head Forever", "Comfortably Numb"......I like to search for titles of the exhibition in common sayings,famous quotes or in book titles.Be on the lookout for titles and save them in a file for a later date.
8. Designing-:As an artist ,play an active role in designing the invitation card, promotional material like posters and the catalogue.If there is designer appointed for this purpose torment him/her .Edit, edit , edit, check and recheck several times over.
9.Timing of the exhibition-:You definitely want people to attend your exhibition and therefore it must be scheduled cleverly when the weather is neither extremely hot or extremely cold or extremely wet and definitely not in the holiday season when most people are away on vacation!
10.There must be ample time to frame the artwork professionally and hence all artwork should be ready at least one or two months before the exhibition date.This will provide time for photographing the work since photographs are important for the catalogue as well as promoting the exhibition on print and social media.Remember that not all work needs to be framed in expensive frames.They can be clipped on strings , pinned on walls or SURPRISE SURPRISE cheap Ikea frames also work well sometimes.One must not forget that limited edition prints of the original works can be kept in the exhibition either in large sizes or in postcard form for people to take home some affordable art.Merchandise related to your artwork like postcards, wristbands, necklaces, brooches, shoulder bags with printed art, even peel off tattoos is not a bad idea at all but will consume time energy and resources.
11.Logistics-:Dedicate some time in thinking about packing the works and transporting your art to the venue.If it is a different country it includes shipment and if the works are very large, heavy or delicate, it requires careful planning.Also ponder over how the works can be brought back after the exhibition and where they can be stored or exhibited next.
11.Logistics-:Dedicate some time in thinking about packing the works and transporting your art to the venue.If it is a different country it includes shipment and if the works are very large, heavy or delicate, it requires careful planning.Also ponder over how the works can be brought back after the exhibition and where they can be stored or exhibited next.
12.Guest List,Chief Guest:Prepare a guest list well in advance.The list should not only include friends and family who will cheer you on, but also high networth individuals,diplomats,officials in corporates, interior designers who might be interested in your work and might even purchase some.It is also useful to invite fellow artists and heads of other Galleries, Curators and people from the art fraternity to inform them of your existence and practice.The people in the list must be informed about the exhibition a month in advance so that they can block the date in their diaries.Send them the invitation card by email a week before the opening and personally deliver a print of the card if you deem fit.Spend a few days before the opening calling up people you have invited to remind them and a personal invitation helps a lot to jolt the memories of incredibly busy people. The Chief Guest(if you want a Chief Guest...not really so important that you have one) must be someone you like and admire ,someone with a charismatic personality, with an air of positivity and someone who is interested art and believes in you.Someone you do not like very much but someone hugely popular also helps coz the fans will follow .
13.Media-:Cultivate a relationship with the media , get acquainted with reporters and art critics in the magazines, journals, papers you would like to be featured in.Write to them about your work before the show, send them images of your work and your website link.Before the show, update your website and create a event on social media.
14.Speak-:It is important that you can talk at length about your work, discuss it even in your sleep.Be passionate about what you do,know your work well and have something to say about each piece(why, what, when, how).Anticipate probable questions.This is useful for impromptu,newspaper tv or radio interviews at the opening .Prepare a presentation of the exhibition, hold a coffee morning and give an art talk .People might be interested to learn a thing or two about you ,your process of making and the thought behind your work.
15. Opening Night-: Relax(visit a spa) , choose your outfit carefully,dress conservatively,look good but never overshadow your art(unless of course you wish to be Lady Gaga which is also perfectly understandable.Your choice!), feel confident, be humble, be approachable, greet your guests, thank them for attending and most importantly, BELIEVE IN YOUR WORK. Collaborating with musicians to perform live ,making live art at the venue or doing a art performance are interesting way to engage with the audience.Carry a goodluck charm in your pocket.
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