Ethics

We are planning to exhibit the work of an artist who lives locally. Our curators have, of course, invited him in to discuss the layout and design of the show. He is deeply unhappy with our proposals. The arrangement he advocates would, however, in our view, thoroughly confuse visitors. How do we reconcile this conflict?


Your museum has to balance two responsibilities, which, in this case, seem to have come into conflict. On the one hand, the artist has a right to expect the museum to respect the integrity of their work. On the other, the visitor has a right to expect the museum to facilitate their engagement with the work of an artist.

Mounting an exhibition requires good project management and people skills. It is important that an artist whose work you are thinking of showing is involved right from the start of your planning. It is unfair to present artists with plans for the display of their work half way into realising the project.

The collaborative working between an artist and a museum can be enormously enriching for all concerned. However, managing the interface between the institutional objectives of the museum and the creative energies of the artist can be very challenging and calls for special skills.

If it becomes clear that, in your opinion, and that of other professionals, the demands made by an artist are unreasonable and non-negotiable, you may have to explain politely why the exhibition cannot go ahead exclusively on the artist's terms.

The work of other artists with an equal claim to representation in the space you manage for the public benefit will take precedence in your programming if it can be shown in a way that satisfies all concerned.