In the contemporary art ecosystem, exhibition payments emerge as a pivotal mechanism to address the longstanding issue of undercompensation among visual artists, offering a form of remuneration based on public visibility rather than sales or commissions. Teemu Mäki, in his 2021 presentation at the Exhibition Payment Symposium in Helsinki, underscores how these payments compensate for the public display of artworks, irrespective of commercial transactions, drawing parallels with other cultural fields such as theatre or literature where content is funded independently from its market success. These systems differ globally, yet commonly bifurcate into copyright fees and payments for the labor associated with exhibiting art. In Finland, for example, artists can receive a minimum of €1,300 for a solo show in copyright fees and an additional €5,000 for exhibition work in small venues, with increases based on venue size and added responsibilities. Crucially, this model recognizes the non-commercial but socially enriching role of artistic exhibitions, reinforcing that exposure alone is not adequate compensation. Mäki argues that the art world must abandon outdated paradigms that equate visibility with value and instead institutionalize fair pay for artistic labor, much like in other professional domains. This shift is essential not just for economic justice but also to sustain diverse and critical artistic practices in an era where many artists rely on social benefits or unrelated jobs to survive. A pertinent case study is Finland’s gradual adoption of exhibition payment guidelines negotiated between artist associations and public institutions, signaling a scalable model for other countries. Ultimately, establishing collective bargaining rights, expanding payment schemes to new platforms, and reframing exhibitions as collaborative cultural productions rather than speculative retail spaces could drastically improve artistic livelihoods while enriching the public cultural sphere.
