In my view, the contractual side of public exhibitions is just as important as providing compelling works to show.
As part of my forthcoming exhibition Recollected Patterns: The botany of Walter Hill at the Redland Art Gallery’s Capalaba site, I am obliged to complete and sign several pieces of official documentation. Besides accepting my contract of engagement, I must log all works I will supply for the exhibition. This is usually noted on a Loan Agreement, which can be as simple or as complex as required.
For each artwork I provide for my show, I will note standard details such as: artist, title, date of work, medium, dimensions and if it has been loaned from a collection. I will also note if the works are available for sale (and, yes they are!), the price, value of artwork for insurance and my ABN. There is also a section on the loan agreement form for the details of the owner of the artwork, which in this case is me. Often, works on loan to state and national galleries require a condition report to be completed, which is valuable in the instance any insurance claims arise from the work being damaged while in care or in transit.
I’m more than happy to invest time completing this documentation as it is not only for the gallery’s benefit, but is a safe guard for me also. Now this is done I can check off another box on my list of things to do as we get closer to the show, which opens on 8 October… Is it in your diary yet?