When participating in a group exhibition or an exhibition sponsored by a gallery, the organizer often installs the works, so many people may not have the opportunity or experience to install all the works themselves. Is it not?
This time, we will introduce how to install works at exhibitions, things to be careful about when installing, and things that are useful if you have them!
table of contents
・How to display your work accurately
・How to accurately measure the size of exhibited works
・How to space the works evenly?
・Convenient to have! Tools useful for installation
How to display your work accurately
①Understand the size and floor plan of the exhibition space
Before arranging the works, first check the size of the exhibition space using a floor plan.
If you have decided on the number of works to display, calculate how far apart they should be placed to fit all the works.
If the score has not yet been determined, an approximate number will be used.
Also, be careful and check areas where you cannot display your works, such as windows and entrances!
②Stretch the thread horizontally on the wall
When you arrive at the exhibition hall, first determine your eye level using octopus thread, water thread, etc.
The average eye height is said to be around 145cm, but if you have many small or large works, you may want to vary the standard height by a few centimeters!
When stringing the string on the wall, be sure to re-measure the height as you go so that the height remains the same from the beginning to the end.
③Put a nail in the position of the work
Drive a nail in the position where you will hang your work.
Measure the center of the work to be installed, calculate the position so that the work does not tilt, and then nail the nails.
At first, tap the nails lightly with a hammer, and when they are deeply embedded in the wall, let go of your hand supporting the nail and drive the nails to the right depth.
*The impact of nailing the nail may cause the work you have hung on the wall to fall!
Once you have hung your work to check its levelness, leave it on the floor until you have nailed all the nails.
④Check if it is level and take the thread
Once all the pieces are installed, check to make sure they are all hanging horizontally.
There is a ruler-like tool called a ``level'' that can be used to check the exact height.
If you feel that the height of each work is not right, adjust the height according to your eye as necessary.
Once everything is complete, remove the threads on the wall that you installed at the beginning and you're done!
How to arrange the pieces evenly
How do I place my work in the location I envision?
I should have carefully measured the size of the work and calculated the display position, but when I tried to display it, the position shifted! There are many cases like this.
The cause is often that you measure the width and height of your forehead !
If you want to display the canvas without framing it, you can calculate the position based on the canvas size, but if you want to frame it, measure the width and height of the frame before calculating the placement.
How to measure
・For panels
① Measure the height of the panel. (The position where the height is halved is the center position, matching the height of the octopus thread.)
② Measure the length of the width of the panel frame, and find the height at which the nail should be driven by half the height of the panel minus the width of the frame.
③Put the nail at the calculated height. If the height is slightly off and is not level, re-drive the nail or slightly distort the nail to make fine adjustments so that it is level.
・For frames (hanging on a wall with a string)
①Measure how high the string attached to the back of the frame will sink when it is hung on a hook.
② Calculate the height of the hook attached to the back of the frame + the height of the string, and drive a nail into the wall at that height.
How can I space the pieces evenly?
If the entire wall is 3m (300cm), 3 works with a width of 30cm, and 2 works with a width of 20cm are displayed.
① Width of the entire wall (300cm) - horizontal works (30cm x 3) + vertical works (20cm x 2) = space other than the works (170cm)
② Space other than the works (170cm) ÷ Number of works (5 pieces) = Spacing when placed evenly on the wall (34cm)
I think it would be a good idea to narrow the spacing a little and make both ends of the exhibition space a little wider! (Example: Make the work width 30cm, add 10cm to both ends to make it 40cm)
What are the minimum necessary tools for the exhibition?
At the exhibition, there are various things you need, such as tools for nailing nails to the wall and octopus string.
When renting a venue, the owner of the room may lend it to you, but there are also cases where you will have to provide it yourself.
・Nails and hammer (necessary for attaching works to the wall)
・Measure (necessary for measuring works and intervals)
- Sticky insect (necessary for pasting captions, posters, etc.)
・Level
In most rental spaces, it is not allowed to attach adhesive materials such as tape to the walls, so posters and other items that are usually attached with tape should be attached to the walls with a material similar to a kneaded eraser called Hittsuki Mushi.
It is also possible to level the work by eye, but it is recommended to use a spirit level to measure the balance more accurately.
It may seem a little tedious to measure and calculate the width and height in advance, but if you do the calculations carefully and place the works, the exhibition landscape will look beautiful!
If you are planning on exhibiting or installing, please use this service✨
Also, FROM ARTIST holds exhibitions at museums and other places several times a year!
The staff carefully arranges each work on display to create an overwhelming space, so if you're in the area, please come and see the exhibition.
We are also planning an exhibition at the Tsukuba Museum of Art from May 2023! It will be a wonderful exhibition that will bring together various artists from all over the country, so please come and see us ◎
Click here for exhibition details
https://www.busca-llc.com/tenjikai-tsukuba
Click here for FROM ARTIST official website!
Author: Fumitori Tsumugi
FROM ARTIST management staff. We write feature articles and columns, and provide operational support from an artist's perspective.
While I usually teach at a vocational school, I am also active as an artist, holding solo exhibitions and public exhibitions.
Supervisor: Shoma Toida
CEO of BUSCA LLC. FROM ARTIST business manager. Started his career as a marketer, gained experience at a business company and advertising agency, and then became independent. Completed marketing-related programs at multiple graduate schools and business schools, including the University of California, Berkeley and London Business School. He also studied the MBA Core Curriculum at Macquarie University and the importance of art in education at the University of British Columbia.