Reviewed as of 1 October 2026. If you spot an error, write to me.
There is no single figure that applies to every exhibition: it depends on the venue, the city, the number of works, their scale and their origin. Consequently, this guide does not provide prices or percentages. It provides a method and a list of the items that almost all budgets omit.
The method
- Begin with the activities, not the finances. Document every task required, from the initial meeting until the final work is returned to its location.
- Request real quotes. For transport, insurance, production, installation and printing, solicit current quotes from suppliers. Figures from previous projects serve as a reference, not as a price.
- Separate columns. For each line item, distinguish the cost, the responsible party (yourself, the venue, a sponsor, a grant) and whether it is provided in kind.
- Record unpaid work. Your own working hours and what the venue provides free of charge also possess value. If you do not record them, the budget misrepresents the cost of the exhibition.
- Determine a contingency margin and state how you have calculated it. This is your decision, not a rule.
Items that are overlooked
Personnel
- Fees for the artist or artists, which constitute remuneration rather than the surplus remaining at the end.
- Curatorial work, coordination, graphic design, installation and de-installation.
- Subsistence and travel expenses.
Artworks
- Production of new pieces.
- Packing, outbound and return transport.
- Nail-to-nail insurance, from the moment the work departs until it returns. The guide on how to loan your work explains what to cover.
- Restoration or preparation of the pieces, if required.
Venue
- Space adaptation: painting, walls, lighting.
- Rental or purchase of equipment, listed separately, as they neither cost the same nor are justified in the same way.
- Security and cleaning, if not assumed by the venue.
Communication and documentation
- Design and printing of posters, leaflets and the catalogue.
- Reproduction rights for the works in the catalogue, on the website and in promotional materials. If the authors are in the VEGAP repertoire, the guide on how to request authorisation explains the procedure.
- Photography of the works and the gallery space.
- Translation and accessibility: easy-to-read texts, subtitling, audio description.
- Opening reception and parallel activities.
Management
- Taxes, according to your actual fiscal situation. VAT may or may not be a cost depending on who you are and the nature of the operation; this must be discussed with an advisor before finalising the budget.
- Banking and administrative charges.
If there is a public grant
The budget must align with the requirements of the call for applications and the description in the proposal, and each expense will subsequently be justified with documentation. The guide on how to prepare an application explains how to integrate this.
Common mistakes
- Budgeting only for material production.
- Omitting return transport and de-installation.
- Failing to include your own professional fees.
- Assuming the venue covers insurance or transport without it being confirmed in writing.
- Adding or removing VAT without knowing if it constitutes a cost.
Further reading
On the open conversation
This guide is for guidance purposes only. If you manage exhibitions and wish to add an item that is frequently overlooked, this notebook remains open.
Sources
- Ley 38/2003, de 17 de noviembre, General de Subvenciones, arts. 30 and 31.
- Real Decreto Legislativo 1/1996, de 12 de abril, texto refundido de la Ley de Propiedad Intelectual, arts. 18, 20 and 56.