When participating in a group exhibition or an exhibition hosted by a gallery, the organizer will often set up the works for you, so many people probably don't have much opportunity or experience to set up all of the works themselves.
This time, we will introduce how to set up works at an exhibition, things to be careful of when setting them up, and useful items to have!
table of contents
How to accurately display your work
- How to accurately measure the size of the exhibited works
How can I space the pieces evenly?
・Convenient tools for installation
How to Exhibit Your Work Correctly
① Understand the size and layout of the exhibition space
Before placing your artwork, first check the size of the exhibition space using a floor plan or similar.
If you have a set number of pieces you want to display, calculate how far apart they need to be so that they all fit.
If the score is not yet determined, calculate it approximately.
Also, be sure to check carefully for areas where you cannot display your work, such as windows and entrances!
② Stretch a string horizontally on the wall
When you arrive at the exhibition venue, first determine your eye level using a fishing line or a water line.
The average eye level is considered to be around 145cm, but if you have a lot of small or large works, it might be a good idea to change the standard height by a few centimeters!
When stringing the string on the wall, measure the height as you go to make sure the height remains the same from the start to the end.
③ Hammer nails into place
Hammer a nail into the location where you want to hang the artwork.
Measure the center of the piece to be installed and calculate the position so that the piece does not tilt, then hammer in the nails.
When hammering in the nail, first tap it lightly with the hammer, and once it has sunk quite deep into the wall, release your hand from supporting the nail and hammer it in to the desired depth.
*The impact of hammering the nails may cause the artwork hanging on the wall to fall!
Once you have hung your work, make sure it is level by placing it on the floor until you have hammered in all the nails.
④Check that it is level and remove the thread
Once all the pieces are in place, check to make sure they are all hanging level.
There is a tool called a "level" that is shaped like a ruler and can be used to check the exact height.
If the height of each piece is not right, adjust the height by eye as needed.
Once everything is complete, remove the wall thread you attached first and you're done!
How to evenly space side-by-side artwork
How do I place my artwork exactly where I want it?
There are many cases where you have carefully measured the size of the work and calculated the display position, but when you hang it up, the position is off!
The reason for this is often that people measure the size by excluding the width and height of the forehead !
If you are displaying the canvas without framing it, you can calculate the position based on the canvas size, but if you are framing it, you should measure the width and height including the frame before calculating the placement.
How to measure
・In the case of a panel
①Measure the height of the panel. (The center position will be half the height, which should be the same height as the string.)
②Measure the width of the panel frame and calculate the height at which to hammer the nails by subtracting half the height of the panel from the width of the frame.
③ Hammer the nails at the calculated height. If the height is slightly off and not level, re-hammer the nails or slightly bend the nails to make fine adjustments until they are level.
- Framed (hanging on the wall with a string)
1. When you hang the string attached to the back of the frame on a hook or something similar, measure how high it sinks.
② Calculate the height of the hook on the back of the frame plus the height it will sink to with the string, and hammer a nail into the wall at that height.
How do I space the pieces evenly?
When the entire wall is 3m (300cm) and three 30cm wide pieces are displayed, and two 20cm wide pieces are displayed.
① Overall wall width (300cm) - horizontal artwork (30cm x 3) + vertical artwork (20cm x 2) = space other than artwork (170cm)
②Space other than artwork (170cm) ÷ number of artworks (5 pieces) = spacing when arranged evenly on the wall (34cm)
It might also be a good idea to narrow the gap a little and make the width a little wider on both ends of the exhibition space! (For example, if the width of the works is 30cm, add 10cm on both ends to make it 40cm)
What are the minimum tools required for an exhibition?
The exhibit features a variety of necessary items, such as tools for hammering nails into the wall and string.
When renting a venue, the owner of the room may lend it to you, but in other cases you may have to provide the equipment yourself.
・Nails and a hammer (necessary for attaching artwork to the wall)
- Tape measure (necessary for measuring works and spacing)
- Sticky tape (necessary for attaching captions, posters, etc.)
・Level
In most rental spaces, it is not permitted to stick adhesive materials such as tape to the walls, so posters that are usually stuck down with tape are stuck down with a material similar to a kneaded eraser called a sticky tape.
It is also possible to level the work by eye, but we recommend using a spirit level to make accurate adjustments and measure the balance more accurately.
It may seem a bit of a hassle to measure and calculate the width and height in advance, but by making careful calculations and arranging the works, your exhibition will look beautiful!
If you are planning to exhibit or install something in the future, please make use of this service.
FROM ARTIST also holds exhibitions at art museums and other venues several times a year!
Our staff has carefully arranged each exhibited piece to create an overwhelming space, so if you're in the area, please come and see the exhibition!
An exhibition is also scheduled to take place at the Tsukuba Museum of Art from May 2023! It will be a wonderful exhibition that brings together various artists from all over the country, so please come and see it!
For more details about the exhibition, click here
https://www.busca-llc.com/tenjikai-tsukuba
FROM ARTIST has approximately 700 artists from all over Japan registered, and you can view many of their works on its website. They also sell paintings, so you can enjoy them in your home as if they were in a museum.
If you would like to know more, please feel free to contact us.
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Author: Tsumugi Fumitori
FROM ARTIST management staff. They write feature articles and columns, and provide operational support from an artist's perspective.
I usually teach at a vocational school, but I also work as an artist, participating in solo exhibitions and public exhibitions.
Supervisor: Shoma Toida
CEO of BUSCA LLC. Head of FROM ARTIST. Started his career as a marketer, he worked for a business company and an advertising agency before going independent. He completed marketing-related programs at several graduate schools and business schools, including the University of California, Berkeley and London Business School. He also completed the MBA core curriculum at Macquarie University and studied the importance of art in education at the University of British Columbia.