An art exhibition is traditionally the space in which art objects (in the most general sense)

meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period
unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they
may be called "exhibit", "exposition" (the French word) or "show". In UK English, they are
always called "exhibitions" or "shows", and an individual item in the show is an "exhibit".
Such expositions may present pictures, drawings, video, sound, installation, performance,
interactive art, new media art or sculptures by individual artists, groups of artists or
collections of a specific form of art.
The art works may be presented in museums, art halls, art clubs or private art galleries, or at
some place the principal business of which is not the display or sale of art, such as a
coffeehouse. An important distinction is noted between those exhibits where some or all of the
works are for sale, normally in private art galleries, and those where they are not. Sometimes
the event is organized on a specific occasion, like a birthday, anniversary or commemoration.

Contents

1 Types of exhibitions
2 History

3 Preservation issues
o

3.1 Environmental concerns of the exhibition space

3.2 Length of the exhibition

3.3 Individual cases

3.4 Display methods

3.5 Security

4 See also

5 Notes

6 References

7 External links

Types of exhibitions

Exhibition space being readied for a show at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
There are different kinds of art exhibitions, in particular there is a distinction between
commercial and non-commercial exhibitions. A commercial exhibition or trade fair is often
referred to as an art fair that shows the work of artists or art dealers where participants
generally have to pay a fee. A vanity gallery is an exhibition space of works in a gallery that
charges the artist for use of the for space. Temporary museum exhibitions typically display
items from the museum's own collection on a particular period, theme or topic, supplemented
by loans from other collections, mostly those of other museums. They normally include no
items for sale; they are distinguished from the museum's permanent displays, and most large
museums set aside a space for temporary exhibitions. Exhibitions in commercial galleries are
often entirely made up of items that are for sale, but may be supplemented by other items that
are not. Typically, the visitor has to pay (extra on top of the basic museum entrance cost) to
enter a museum exhibition, but not a commercial one in a gallery. Retrospectives look back
over the work of a single artist; other common types are individual expositions or "solo
shows", group expositions (collective exhibitions or "group shows"), or expositions on a
specific theme or topic ("survey shows"). The Biennale is a large exhibition held every two
years, often intending to gather together the best of international art; there are now many of
these. A travelling exhibition is another category of art exhibition.
Exhibitions of new or recent art can be juried, invitational, or open.

A juried exhibition, such as the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London, the
Chianciano Biennale at the Chianciano Museum of Art, or the Iowa Biennial, has an
individual (or group) acting as judge of the submitted artworks, selecting which are to
be shown. If prizes are to be awarded, the judge or panel of judges will usually select
the prizewinners as well.
In an invitational exhibition, such as the Whitney Biennial, the organizer of the show
asks certain artists to supply artworks and exhibits them.
An open or "non-juried" exhibition, such as the Kyoto Triennial,[1] allows anybody to
enter artworks and shows them all. A type of exhibition that is usually non-juried is a
mail art exhibition.

History

"A Slight Attack of Third Dimentia Brought on by Excessive Study of the Much Talked of
Cubist Pictures in the International Exhibition at New York," drawn by John French Sloan in
April 1913, satirizing the Armory Show.
The art exhibition has played a crucial part in the market for new art since the 18th and 19th
centuries. The Paris Salon, open to the public from 1737, rapidly became the key factor in
determining the reputation, and so the price, of the French artists of the day. The Royal
Academy in London, beginning in 1769, soon established a similar grip on the market, and in
both countries artists put great efforts into making pictures that would be a success, often
changing the direction of their style to meet popular or critical taste. The British Institution
was added to the London scene in 1805, holding two annual exhibitions, one of new British
art for sale, and one of loans from the collections of its aristocratic patrons. These exhibitions
received lengthy and detailed reviews in the press, which were the main vehicle for the art
criticism of the day. Critics as distinguished as Denis Diderot and John Ruskin held their
readers attention by sharply divergent reviews of different works, praising some extravagantly
and giving others the most savage put-downs they could think of. Many of the works were
already sold, but success at these exhibitions was a crucial way for an artist to attract more
commissions. Among important early one-off loan exhibitions of older paintings were the Art
Treasures Exhibition, Manchester 1857, and the Exhibition of National Portraits in London, at
what is now the Victoria and Albert Museum, held in three stages in 1866-68.
As the academic art promoted by the Paris Salon, always more rigid than London, was felt to
be stifling French art, alternative exhibitions, now generally known as the Salon des Refuss
("Salon of the Refused") were held, most famously in 1863, when the government allowed
them an annex to the main exhibition for a show that included douard Manet's Luncheon on
the Grass (Le djeuner sur lherbe) and James McNeill Whistler's Girl in White. This began a
period where exhibitions, often one-off shows, were crucial in exposing the public to new
developments in art, and eventually Modern art. Important shows of this type were the
Armory Show in New York City in 1913 and the London International Surrealist Exhibition in
1936.
Museums started holding large loan exhibitions of historic art in the late 19th century, as also
did the Royal Academy, but the modern "blockbuster" museum exhibition, with long queues
and a large illustrated catalogue, is generally agreed to have been introduced by the
exhibitions of artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun held in several cities in the 1970s.

Many exhibitions, especially in the days before good photographs were available, are
important in stimulating research in art history; the exhibition held in Bruges in 1902 (poster
illustrated below) had a crucial impact on the study of Early Netherlandish painting.
In 1968 Art fairs in Europe became quite the fashion with the advent of the Cologne Art Fair
which was sponsored by the Cologne Art Dealers Association. Because of the high admission
standards of the Cologne fair a rival fair was organized in Dsseldorf which enabled less
regarded galleries opportunity to meet with an international public. The fairs took place
during the fall months. This rivalry continued for a few years which provided the Basel Art
Fair the opportunity to interject the Basel fair in early summer. These fairs became extremely
important to galleries, dealers and publishers as they provided the possibility of worldwide
distribution. Dsseldorf and Cologne merged their efforts. Basel soon became the most
important art fair.
In 1976, the Felluss Gallery under the direction of Elias Felluss, in Washington DC organized
the first American dealer art fair. "The Washington International Art Fair" or "Wash Art" for
brevity. This American fair met with fierce opposition by those galleries interested in
maintaining distribution channels for European artwork already in place. The Washington fair
introduced the European idea of dealer fairs to art dealers throughout the United States.
Following the advent of Wash Art, many fairs developed throughout the United States.

Preservation issues
Main article: Preservation: Library and Archival Science
Although preservation issues are often disregarded in favor of other priorities during the
exhibition process, they should certainly be considered so that possible damage to the
collection is minimized or limited. As all objects in the library exhibition are unique and to
some extent vulnerable, it is essential that they be displayed with care. Not all materials are
able withstand the hardships of display, and therefore each piece needs to be assessed
carefully to determine its ability to withstand the rigors of an exhibition. In particular, when
exhibited items are archival artifacts or paper-based objects, preservation considerations need
be emphasized because damage and change in such materials is cumulative and irreversible.[2]
Two trusted sources the National Information Standard Organization's[3] Environmental
Conditions for Exhibiting Library and Archival Materials, and the British Library's Guidance
for Exhibiting Library and Archive Materials have established indispensable criteria to help
curtail the deleterious effects of exhibitions on library and archival materials. These criteria
may be divided into five main preservation categories: Environmental concerns of the
exhibition space; Length of the exhibition; Individual cases; Display methods used on
individual objects; and Security.

Environmental concerns of the exhibition space

Preparation for ''Richard Prince, American Prayer'' exhibition at the Bibliothque

nationale de France, Paris

1 February 2011

25 February 2011

25 February 2011

8 March 2011

26 June 2011

26 June 2011
The main concerns of exhibition environments include light, relative humidity, and
temperature.
Light
Light wavelength, intensity, and duration contribute collectively to the rate of material
degradation in exhibitions.[4] The intensity of visible light in the display space should be low
enough to avoid object deterioration, but bright enough for viewing. A patrons tolerance of
low level illumination can be aided by reducing ambient light levels to a level lower than that
falling on the exhibit.[5] Visible light levels should be maintained at between 50 lux and 100
lux depending on the light sensitivity of objects.[6] An items level of toleration will depend on
the inks or pigments being exposed and the duration of the exhibition time. A maximum
exhibition length should initially be determined for each exhibited item based on its light
sensitivity, anticipated light level, and its cumulative past and projected exhibition exposure.
Light levels need to be measured when the exhibition is prepared. UV light meters will check
radiation levels in an exhibit space, and data event loggers help determine visible light levels
over an extended period of time. Blue wool standards cards can also be utilized to predict the
extent to which materials will be damaged during exhibits.[7] UV radiation must be eliminated
to the extent it is physically possible; it is recommended that light with a wavelength below
400 nm (ultraviolet radiation) be limited to no more than 75 microwatts per lumen at 10 to
100 lux.[8] Furthermore, exposure to natural light is undesirable because of its intensity and
high UV content. When such exposure is unavoidable, preventative measures must be taken to
control UV radiation, including the use of blinds, shades, curtains, UV filtering films, and
UV-filtering panels in windows or cases. Artificial light sources are safer options for
exhibition. Among these sources, incandescent lamps are most suitable because they emit
little or no UV radiation.[9] Fluorescent lamps, common in most institutions, may be used only
when they produce a low UV output and when covered with plastic sleeves before exhibition.

[10]

Though tungsten-halogen lamps are currently a favorite artificial lighting source, they still
give off significant amounts of UV radiation; use these only with special UV filters and
dimmers.[11] Lights should be lowered or turned off completely when visitors are not in the
exhibition space.
Relative humidity (RH)
The exhibition space's relative humidity (RH) should be set to a value between 35% and 50%.
[12]
The maximum acceptable variation should be 5% on either side of this range. Seasonal
changes of 5% are also allowed. The control of relative humidity is especially critical for
vellum and parchment materials, which are extremely sensitive to changes in relative
humidity and may contract violently and unevenly if displayed in too dry an environment.
Temperature
For preservation purposes, cooler temperatures are always recommended. The temperature of
the display space should not exceed 72 F.[13] A lower temperature of down to 50 F can be
considered safe for a majority of objects. The maximum acceptable variation in this range is
5 F, meaning that the temperature should not go above 77 F and below 45 F. As
temperature and relative humidity are interdependent, temperature should be reasonably
constant so that relative humidity can be maintained as well. Controlling the environment
with 24-hour air conditioning and dehumidification is the most effective way of protecting an
exhibition from serious fluctuations.

Length of the exhibition

Poster, Bruges, 1902

One factor that influences how well materials will fare in an exhibition is the length of the
show. The longer an item is exposed to harmful environmental conditions, the more likely that

it will experience deterioration. Many museums and libraries have permanent exhibitions, and
installed exhibitions have the potential to be on the view without any changes for years.
Damage from a long exhibition is usually caused by light. The degree of deterioration is
different for each respective object. For paper-based items, the suggested maximum length of
time that they should be on display is three months per year, or 42 kilolux hours of light per
year whichever comes first.[14]
An exhibition log report, including records of the length of the exhibition time and the light
level of the display, may prevent objects from being exhibited too frequently. Displayed items
need to be inspected regularly for evidence of damage or change.[15] It is recommended that
high-quality facsimiles of especially delicate or fragile materials be displayed in lieu of
originals for longer exhibitions.[16]

Individual cases
Library or archival materials are usually displayed in display cases or frames. Cases provide a
physically and chemically secure environment. Vertical cases are acceptable for small or
single-sheet items, and horizontal cases can be used for a variety of objects, including threedimensional items such as opened or closed books, and flat paper items. All these objects can
be arranged simultaneously in one horizontal case under a unified theme.
Materials used for case construction should be chosen carefully because component materials
can easily become a significant source of pollutants or harmful fumes for displayed objects.
Outgassing from materials used in the construction of the exhibition case and/or fabrics used
for lining the case can be destructive. Pollutants may cause visible deterioration, including
discoloration of surfaces and corrosion. Examples of evaluative criteria to be used in deeming
materials suitable for use in exhibit display could be the potential of contact-transfer of
harmful substances, water solubility or dry-transfer of dyes, the dry-texture of paints, pH, and
abrasiveness.[17]
New cases may be preferred, constructed of safe materials such as metal, plexiglass, or some
sealed woods.[18] Separating certain materials from the display section of an exhibition case by
lining relevant surfaces with an impermeable barrier film will help protect items from
damage. Any fabrics that line or decorate the case (e.g. polyester blend fabric), and any
adhesives used in the process, should also be tested to determine any risk. Using internal
buffers and pollutant absorbers, such as silica gel, activated carbon, or zeolite, is a good way
to control relative humidity and pollutants. Buffers and absorbers should be placed out of
sight, in the base or behind the backboard of a case. If the case is to be painted, it is
recommended oil paints be avoided; acrylic or latex paint is preferable.

Display methods

A photography exhibition in Moscow, 2010

There are two kinds of objects displayed at the library and archival exhibition bound
materials and unbound materials. Bound materials include books and pamphlets, and unbound
materials include manuscripts, cards, drawings, and other two-dimensional items. The
observance of proper display conditions will help minimize any potential physical damage.
All items displayed must be adequately supported and secured.
Unbound materials
Unbound materials, usually single-sheet items, need to be attached securely to the mounts,
unless matted or encapsulated. Metal fasteners, pins, screws, and thumbtacks should not come
in direct contact with any exhibit items.[19] Instead, photo corners, polyethylene, or polyester
film straps may hold the object to the support. Objects may also be encapsulated in polyester
film, though old and untreated acidic papers should be professionally deacidified before
encapsulation.[20] Avoid potential slippage during encapsulation when possible, use
ultrasonic or heat seals. For objects that need to be hung (and that may require more
protection than lightweight polyester film), matting would be an effective alternative.
Objects in frames should be separated from harmful materials through matting, glazing, and
backing layers. Matting, which consists of two pH-neutral or alkaline boards with a window
cut in the top board to enable the object to be seen, can be used to support and enhance the
display of single sheet or folded items. Backing layers of archival cardboard should be thick
enough to protect objects. Moreover, any protective glazing used should never come in direct
contact with objects.[21] Frames should be well-sealed and hung securely, allowing a space for
air circulation between the frame and the wall.
Bound materials
The most common way to display bound materials is closed and lying horizontally. If a
volume is shown open, the object should be open only as much as its binding allows.
Common practice is to open volumes at an angle no greater than 135.[22] There are some
types of equipment that help support volumes as they displayed openly: blocks or wedges,
which hold a book cover to reduce stain at the book hinge; cradles, which support bound
volumes as they lay open without stress to the binding structure; and polyester film strips,
which help to secure open leaves. Textblock supports are best used in conjunction with book
cradles where the textblock is greater than 1/2 inch, or where the textblock noticeably sags.[23]
Regardless of its method of support, however, it is worth noting that any book that is kept
open for long periods can cause damage. One should turn an exhibited book's pages every few
days in order to protect pages from overexposure to light and spread any strain on the binding
structure.

Security
Because exhibited items are often of special interest, they demand a high level of security to
reduce the risk of loss from theft or vandalism. Exhibition cases should be securely locked. In
addition, cases may be glazed with a material that hinders penetration and that when broken
does not risk shards of glass falling on the exhibits.[24] Whenever possible, the exhibition area
should be patrolled; a 24-hour security presence is recommended when precious treasures are
exhibited.[25] Finally, the exhibition is best protected when equipped with intruder alarms,
which can be fitted at entry points to the building and internal areas.