The gallery and greenwashing: being sincere in environmental commitment

01Greenwashing in the art world: an overview

Greenwashing refers to the practice of projecting an image of environmental responsibility without concrete actions matching that image. In the art world, this phenomenon takes various forms. A gallery that sponsors an exhibition on climate change while shipping works by air across the globe without any carbon offsetting practises a form of greenwashing. An artist collective that organises a charity auction for an environmental association but produces works with highly polluting materials illustrates the same contradiction.

International fairs are particularly fertile ground for greenwashing. Art Basel has published a sustainability report and implemented environmental initiatives, but the very nature of the event — bringing galleries and collectors from around the world to a single location for a few days — generates a carbon footprint that compensatory measures can only partially offset. Frieze has developed a sustainability programme, but the temporary structures erected for the fair and dismantled days later raise legitimate questions about coherence.

This observation aims not to discourage action but to underline the necessity of an honest approach. The dealer who acknowledges that their activity has an environmental impact and seeks to reduce it progressively adopts a more credible posture than one who displays a token environmental commitment without questioning fundamental practices.

02The real sources of a gallery's environmental impact

To undertake a sincere approach, the dealer must first identify the real sources of environmental impact. Works transport generally constitutes the largest item. Air-freighting a crate of works between Paris and New York generates a significant carbon footprint that sea or ground transport reduces considerably, at the cost of longer delivery times. Participation in international fairs multiplies these shipments: an active gallery on the fair circuit may ship works to ten different destinations in a single year.

Energy consumed by gallery spaces represents a second significant item. Lighting works, climate control necessary for conservation, heating in winter: these energy costs are inherent to the activity but can be optimised. Switching to LED lighting, improving space insulation and using renewable energy suppliers are concrete measures with measurable impact.

Packing and scenography materials constitute a third item. Wooden transport crates, foam padding, walls and plinths built for each exhibition: these elements generate considerable waste. Galerie Yvon Lambert in Paris pioneered the reuse of scenography materials from one exhibition to the next, reducing both costs and environmental impact.

Printed communications — invitation cards, catalogues, posters — represent an item whose importance diminishes with the digital transition but remains significant for galleries committed to the quality of their paper materials.

03Building credible commitment: the small steps method

The dealer wishing to undertake a sincere environmental approach need not revolutionise operations overnight. The small steps method, which consists of identifying a limited number of concrete actions and implementing them progressively, is more credible and more sustainable than an ambitious statement of intent followed by approximate implementation.

The first step is to conduct an assessment of the gallery's environmental footprint. This assessment need not be a formal carbon audit: an inventory of the main sources of impact, conducted with common sense and honesty, suffices to identify priority levers for action. The dealer who finds that air transport represents the majority of the carbon footprint immediately knows where to concentrate efforts.

The second step is to set realistic and measurable objectives. Reduce the number of air shipments by twenty per cent by favouring fairs accessible by ground transport. Replace all lighting with LED within one year. Reuse at least half of scenography materials. These concrete objectives allow progress to be measured and results to be communicated transparently.

The third step is to document and communicate the approach honestly. The dealer who shares objectives, progress and difficulties with artists, collectors and the public builds a relationship of trust that values effort rather than the final result. A dealer who says "we reduced our air shipments by fifteen per cent this year and are targeting twenty-five per cent next year" is more credible than one who states "we are an eco-responsible gallery" without providing any concrete data.

04Practices of pioneering galleries

Several galleries have undertaken environmental approaches that can serve as models. Galerie Hauser and Wirth invested in a farming estate in Bruton, Somerset, where it created a garden designed by landscape architect Piet Oudolf, integrating art into a natural environment demonstrating concrete attention to the land and living world. This initiative does not resolve the question of the gallery's international transport carbon footprint, but it demonstrates a tangible commitment that goes beyond rhetoric.

Galerie neugerriemschneider in Berlin has adopted transport practices favouring ground shipment for intra-European deliveries, accepting longer delivery times in exchange for significant carbon footprint reduction. Galerie Esther Schipper, also in Berlin, has integrated environmental criteria into scenography and packing material choices.

In France, Galerie Air de Paris has historically championed artists whose work interrogates environmental questions, creating coherence between the artistic programme and operational practices. Galerie Marcelle Alix has adopted a minimalist operating model that naturally limits environmental impact, demonstrating that sobriety can be a form of ecological commitment.

05What artists expect from their gallery

Artists, particularly those whose work addresses environmental questions, are increasingly attentive to their gallery's practices. An artist who devotes their work to the climate crisis legitimately expects coherence between the message carried by the works and the conditions of their distribution. This expectation does not mean the gallery must achieve environmental perfection, but that it must demonstrate awareness and sincere effort.

Dialogue between artist and dealer on these questions is essential. Some artists agree to reduce the number of fairs the gallery attends to limit transport. Others prefer the gallery to concentrate participation on fairs accessible by train. Still others propose producing works specifically adapted to transport constraints, favouring formats that allow ground or sea shipment.

This constructive dialogue between artist and dealer is a sign of professional maturity. It demonstrates a relationship in which both parties share a common responsibility towards the environment and jointly seek pragmatic solutions that sacrifice neither artistic quality nor the gallery's economic viability.

06Communicating without overplaying: the art of transparency

Communication about a gallery's environmental commitments is a delicate exercise. The risk of greenwashing is permanent: every environmental claim not supported by concrete actions may be perceived as misleading marketing. The dealer must find the right tone reflecting the reality of efforts without exaggerating results.

Transparency is the best protection against greenwashing accusations. The dealer who publishes an annual review of environmental actions, with quantified data and objectives for the following year, demonstrates serious commitment that artists and collectors can evaluate. This review need not be a formal document: a text published on the gallery's website or a communication in the newsletter suffices, provided the information is honest and verifiable.

The vocabulary used also matters. Vague terms like "eco-responsible," "sustainable" or "green" mean nothing if unaccompanied by concrete detail. The dealer who says "we replaced all our lighting with LED, reducing our lighting-related electricity consumption by approximately sixty per cent" communicates precise and verifiable information. The one who says "we are committed to sustainable art" communicates nothing actionable.

07Towards a more responsible art market

Galleries' environmental commitment is part of a broader transformation of the art market. Collectors, particularly younger ones, increasingly integrate environmental criteria into purchasing decisions. They do not necessarily require the gallery to be perfect in environmental terms, but they expect a sincere and transparent approach. The dealer who meets this expectation strengthens collector loyalty and attracts new ones who share these values.

The path towards a truly responsible art market is long and strewn with obstacles. The economic constraints of the profession, the necessity of participating in international fairs, conservation requirements: these realities limit the gallery's capacity to reduce its environmental impact to zero. But the dealer who commits to this direction, with lucidity and perseverance, contributes to a collective evolution whose effects will be felt in the long term.

For Artedusa partner galleries, the platform offers an alternative to physical travel that naturally reduces the carbon footprint associated with work distribution. Presenting works online to an international collector audience enables reaching a broad public without the logistical and environmental constraints of fairs and touring exhibitions. This complementarity between physical and digital presence constitutes one of the most effective levers for reconciling commercial ambition with environmental responsibility.