L U X Distribution Guide

LUX Distribution Guide > Galleries

Galleries are an excellent platform for exhibition and it is more and more common to see film and video in this context. The major benefit of the gallery is that in an installation context it can offer a sustained period of exhibition (usually around 6 weeks), unlike cinema and television, where this is usually limited to the running time of the work. This can mean large accumulative audiences and may introduce an interesting new dimension to the way that audiences can see the work. Of course this does require a great deal of commitment from the gallery towards the work, especially as most galleries will only hold six or seven exhibitions a year, this in turn will be reflected in the support and promotion that they will commit to exhibition projects.

Research
Most galleries do not have formalised application procedures for artists to submit work and make proposals so it is important to do your research and think about what you want to achieve in advance. Look for galleries that show the kind of work you are making. Look at the previous shows that they have held and most importantly research their publicity to find out how they promote themselves and their projects, and if possible talk to other artists that have shown with them. It is worth contacting galleries in advance to find out what their submission requirements might be and if they would be interested in seeing work such as yours.

Different Kinds of Galleries
Although every space has its own unique character it is good to be aware of the broad kinds of galleries that exist as this is often key to shaping their exhibition policy.

• Artist-run spaces. These are often unfunded, work with less established artists and are able to be quite flexible and reactive in their exhibition work.

• Public-funded galleries. These may have a remit for supporting a particular kind of work as well as showing less established artists and giving the public an opportunity to see work they would not otherwise have access to. Due to their public-funded status most of these galleries will have a policy for open submissions.

• Municipal galleries. These are usually council-run or council-funded spaces that are often more traditional in their exhibition programme, but will often focus on locally produced work.

• National galleries and museums. These work with very long lead times and usually focus on large-scale exhibition projects. Often they are curated by a team of curators, and they may have a dedicated film and video curator on their team. These spaces only usually work with invited artists in mid- to late career stages.

• Commercial galleries. These are businesses with the primary aim of selling art. They usually work with a small group of artists who they represent. These are usually selected proactively and are invested in quite heavily in terms of support and sometimes salaries. Some commercial galleries also hold shows of work by artists they do not represent, either to test the potential of the work before they invest more heavily in the artist or to attract audiences to and create a buzz around their space. For a commercial dealer film and video creates a unique challenge as works of potentially infinite reproducibility. This is dealt with in different ways, the most common being the creation of a certified limited edition, where a limited number of copies exist of which one is retained as the artist’s proof and the others are sold to collectors with certain reproduction and exhibition rights. Works are also sold as unlimited editions, whereby an infinite number of copies can be sold, usually for much less than the price of the limited edition work. This is not so popular in the commercial world, but many public collections will have been built up this way.

• Galleries for hire. There are also a number of spaces which are available for individuals and groups to hire to showcase their work on a daily or weekly basis, lists of these spaces can be found on the Artquest website at www.artquest.org.uk. If you are considering hiring an exhibition space, it might be more effective to look for a more unusual non-traditional space, which may have either an added resonance for the work or offer an additional attraction to visitors.

Making contact
As mentioned above most galleries do not have formal application processes, so check with them about their requirements in advance. Do not what ever you do turn up at the gallery unannounced and expect the curator to look at your work, as well as not making a very professional first impression many spaces are programmed by committee and/or proposals are looked at together at set times in the year. When applying, do so in writing enclosing all of the necessary information and materials required, this should at least include preview tapes, statement about the work, technical information and CV. Also remember to include a cover letter explaining what the materials are, what you are proposing and why you are sending it to that particular gallery. Limit your materials to those which are directly relevant to the proposal you are making. Remember that they may be looking at a number of applications at one time, large amounts of papers and long showreels could actually dilute the work your are proposing so keep it short and focused. For installation proposals, avoid being vague, clearly set out the technical configuration in relation to the particular space, include a realistic budget and explain how the submitted materials relate to the project. Be realistic in your proposal, most spaces do not have huge budgets to develop large-scale Installation projects, so make sure the proposal matches the scale of the gallery you are applying to. Most galleries work to quite long lead times that can be anything from three months to two years in advance. In terms of decision making on proposals this can also take rather a long time, something in the region of 3-6 months is not unusual – so be patient.