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why, who, where, what and who cares?
Some tips on what to
include when writing an English-language exhibition statement or press
release to let people know what's going on in your gallery.
Why?
The main purpose of an
exhibition
statement or press release is to create enough excitement and interest
(or "buzz") about your show among readers—whether they be curators, media
representatives,
critics, students, collectors or the general
public—to motivate them to visit your gallery
and experience the show for themselves. Remember, a lot of
international mainstream and underground curators and critics are
interested in Tokyo's contemporary art scene but don't speak or read Japanese,
meaning the amount of information that gets through to them about
different movements, artists and specific shows is limited. Regardless
of whether your gallery is big or small, providing some
English-language information about your scheduled exhibitions, either
directly via your own website or mailing list or indirectly through the
media, is a good way of making sure potential international visitors—native and non-native English speakers
alike—know about and feel welcome at your
gallery.
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That's the easy bit. Now, let's get onto
to the
contents of the exhibition statement itself and take a look at what you
need to include for an English-speaking audience.
1. Who?
While some readers
will no
doubt already be familiar with the exhibiting artist (or group of
artists) and his
or her work,
others—perhaps the majority—will not. To be effective, an exhibition
statement should address both groups. For those potential visitors who
don’t already know, a brief introduction to the artist, including basic
biographical details such as name, nationality, year of birth (if
relevant) and death (if applicable) should be provided. For those who
are already familiar with the artist, also include a
line or two about why this particular exhibition will provide them with
a new and unique experience. For example, the exhibition may present a
new series of works that either build upon or signify a departure from
a previous body of work, or it may make new
connections between previously exhibited pieces made by a particular
artist
or group.
2. Where?
"Where" does not
just refer to the location of the gallery (although of course it is
essential to include this information too!) It also means where this
particular show fits in along the timeline of the artist's
career. Does the exhibition represent, for example, the first solo show
of an up-and-coming emerging artist? Or is it a group show featuring a
number of well-established artists? Maybe it is a retrospective of a
lifetime of achievement of an internationally renowned painter, or even
the
revisiting of the work of a group of scupltors addressing a
common theme or working in a common medium. This kind of
information, stated briefly and succinctly, will help guide the
reader’s understanding.
3. What is
it?
Include a brief
physical
description of the work itself in terms of form (e.g., painting,
installation, video), media (e.g., acrylic on paper, found objects, a
10-minute animation) and style (e.g., abstract, minimalist,
figurative).
Potential visitors will also be interested in how the work was actually
created, especially if it is a little unusual. For example, if you're
writing about an exhibition of paintings or drawings, mention if the
artist works from life, from photographs, from her imagination or from
album covers of 80s heavy metal bands. If the show is an installation
constructed out of found objects, say where these objects were
collected and how they were assembled. Does the artist experiment
with light or sound? If so, how? If you can, attach an image or two.
4. What does
it
mean?
Give a short
explanation about the
artistic intention behind the
work, its underlying concepts, or the ideas the artist was exploring
when making the work. Is the artist interested in some form of pop
culture? Or is he referencing some other artistic, intellectual,
political or social movement? One artist, for example, might be
concerned about a social issue, like the increasing surveillance of
private citizens, another may be celebrating the humble rollerskate,
while another is documenting the family life on the steppes of Mongolia.
5. Who cares?
Finally, let the
reader know why this show is important, not just to the artist or
the gallery, but to the individual and society at large. Try to make
some kind of link between the artist or the theme of the show and the
reader. If the
exhibition is an exploration of contemporary urban masculinity as
expressed through skateboard graphics then, besides the usual art
crowd, the show might be particularly interesting to skaters, young
men,
urbanites and graphic designers, at the very least. Identify anyone who
may have an interest in the exhibition (this is also a good way of
encouraging people to tell their friends).
Are we done
yet?
It sounds like a
lot, we know. However, if you just write one or two
sentences on each of the five points listed above you will have a
short, easy-to-read statement that will help you connect with your
target audience and give them a reason to want to see your show. Good
luck!
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