How to plan a twelve-month exhibition calendar

01Understanding art market cycles

The art market follows seasonal cycles that the dealer must understand to position exhibitions at the most productive moments. In France, the September rentrée traditionally marks the start of the strong season, as collectors return from the summer pause. October concentrates major international fairs: FIAC, now Paris+ par Art Basel, draws collectors from around the world to Paris. This moment provides a privileged window to inaugurate an ambitious exhibition that will benefit from the presence of international visitors.

The November to December period is driven by end-of-year purchases. Collectors seek works to complete their collections before the fiscal year close, making it a propitious moment for solo shows of established artists whose works sit within an accessible price range. January and February correspond to a relative slowdown in Europe, but the astute gallery uses this lull to mount more experimental projects, group exhibitions or presentations of emerging artists that do not require maximum footfall.

Spring, from March to June, constitutes the second strong season. Art Paris at the Grand Palais, institutional exhibitions opening after winter closures and the return of fine weather that encourages gallery visits create a favourable context. The summer period, July to August, is traditionally quiet in major cities but can be exploited by galleries in tourist areas or by those offering lighter group hangings designed for passing visitors.

02Determining the right number of exhibitions per year

The number of exhibitions a gallery can reasonably organise in twelve months depends on its size, means and team. A mid-sized French gallery typically organises between six and eight exhibitions per year, with an average duration of four to six weeks per show. The most active galleries, with multiple spaces or a substantial staff, may mount up to ten or twelve exhibitions. More modest galleries, run by a sole dealer or with limited assistance, often find a viable rhythm at four to five annual exhibitions, supplemented by fair presentations and off-site events.

The duration of each exhibition merits specific consideration. A show that is too short does not give collectors time to visit, especially if the gallery serves an international clientele. A show that is too long eventually wearies and gives the impression the space is stagnating. Galerie Perrotin, with its several Paris spaces, alternates between four-week shows for emerging artists and six to eight-week presentations for established artists whose works require a longer discovery period.

Galerie Nathalie Obadia has built its rhythm around six to seven exhibitions per year, each lasting five to six weeks, leaving one week between hangings for installation and de-installation. This pace maintains programming freshness without exhausting the team or the artists.

03Alternating formats to sustain interest

An effective annual calendar alternates between different exhibition formats to avoid monotony and address different audiences. Solo shows of confirmed programme artists form the backbone of programming: they attract loyal collectors, generate predictable sales and reinforce the gallery's reputation. Group exhibitions, whether thematic or dialogic, create unexpected encounters between programme artists and, potentially, guest artists whose presence enriches the proposition.

Discovery exhibitions, dedicated to emerging artists the gallery is considering representing, test audience and collector reactions before a formal commitment. Galerie Almine Rech regularly practises this type of presentation, functioning as a full-scale trial before an artist's integration into the permanent programme.

Special projects, outside the classic format of the enclosed exhibition, bring variety and generate media attention disproportionate to their cost. A site-specific installation, a partnership event with an institution, a presentation in an unexpected venue: these projects punctuate the calendar and create exceptional moments that linger in memory. Galleria Continua, present in San Gimignano, Rome, Paris, Havana, Sao Paulo and Beijing, systematically integrates off-site projects into its annual calendar, which sustains its reputation for innovation.

04Synchronising with fairs and external events

The exhibition calendar cannot be conceived in isolation. It must articulate with fairs in which the gallery participates, institutional events in its city and high points of the cultural calendar. Participating in a fair mobilises the team for several weeks before and after the event: it is unwise to schedule an exhibition opening the week before or after a major fair, as staff attention and the dealer's availability will be insufficient.

Conversely, planning an opening to coincide with fair week when the gallery is not participating can be strategic. Collectors visiting Paris during Paris+ par Art Basel week also explore galleries in the Marais, Saint-Germain-des-Pres and Belleville. A freshly inaugurated exhibition in this context benefits from an influx of qualified visitors without the gallery having borne the cost of a fair booth.

Gallery weekends, coordinated events among galleries in the same neighbourhood or city, are another key calendar moment. Berlin, Brussels, Paris and many other cities organise these collective weekends that draw an expanded audience. The astute dealer inaugurates or refreshes their hanging for these occasions.

05Planning production and logistics well in advance

An exhibition calendar is only truly operational when each show is underpinned by a production back-plan. Works must be produced, transported, framed and insured. Exhibition texts must be written, translated and proofread. Invitation cards must be designed, printed and sent. Press releases must reach journalists at least three weeks before the opening, which requires work visuals to be available in advance.

Galerie Lelong is recognised for the rigour of its logistical planning. Each exhibition is prepared several months ahead, with precise tracking of production, transport and communication milestones. This anticipation absorbs contingencies, production delays or transport difficulties, which are commonplace in the art world.

The dealer must also build buffer periods between exhibitions for installation and de-installation. One week is a minimum for a mid-sized show. Exhibitions involving complex installations, video or large-format works sometimes require two weeks of installation, which must be factored into the overall calendar.

06Integrating communications into the calendar

Communication is not a supplement added after exhibition planning: it is an integral part of it. Each exhibition must be accompanied by a communication plan covering press release distribution, social media posts, newsletter mailouts, follow-ups with key collectors and, where possible, interview requests or article proposals to specialist magazines.

Galerie Templon, whose communications department is structured and experienced, plans its press campaigns six months in advance. Wall texts and press kits are finalised before the works are even completed, which allows rapid response when a media outlet requests information. Smaller galleries lack this structure but can nonetheless anticipate by securing work visuals, preparing texts and maintaining an updated press file.

Social media demands a regular posting rhythm that must be built into the calendar. A gallery that publishes only at openings loses continuity with its audience. Regular posts showing preparation behind the scenes, studio views and details of works in production feed anticipation and maintain online community engagement.

07Building the calendar as a team

Constructing the annual calendar should not be a solitary exercise for the dealer. Programme artists, gallery staff, the communications manager, the registrar: each of these actors holds information that influences calendar feasibility and quality. An artist planning a three-month research residency will be unavailable to produce an exhibition during that period. A registrar who knows international shipping constraints can flag that a shipment from Asia requires eight weeks of lead time.

The annual programming meeting, ideally organised in June or July for the following year, allows the calendar foundations to be laid by cross-referencing all stakeholders' schedules. The most organised galleries, such as Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, finalise their programming twelve to eighteen months in advance, which allows them to communicate their calendar to collectors, institutions and media with an anticipation that demonstrates their professionalism.

Artedusa supports partner galleries in showcasing their annual programming by offering a digital space where the exhibition calendar can be presented to international collectors, with detailed information on each artist and each project, encouraging visit planning and appointment requests in advance.