The guides are practical texts for anyone who works with art: how to document an artwork, what to review before signing with a gallery, when an artwork ceases to be protected. They differ from the articles in the Public Notebook in their function. The Notebook analyses and interprets; the guides explain how to do something and which rules, data or documents each step relies on. That is why they are updated when what underpins them changes, and each one shows the date it was last checked.
Verified means that on that date I checked every fact, rule and link against its primary source. Reviewed means that I re-read and updated the text without repeating that full check. When only Updated appears, the date corresponds to the last edit.
The guides offer general information. They do not constitute individualised legal, tax or professional advice: for a specific case, consult a qualified professional.
Total: 145
Featured resource
Master artwork record
An open-format template for keeping a consistent inventory of your work from the studio onwards. The ODS workbook brings together four sheets: master record, restricted data, gallery deposit and key. It includes validations, filters, frozen headers and an example row.
The gallery deposit sheet fills in the title automatically from the inventory number. It is a record of the works delivered, not a contract. Terms of custody, insurance, sale, commission and return must be agreed separately.
The restricted data sheet contains personal, financial and location information. It must not be published, nor shared together with the general record.
The ODS is the main resource. The CSV files let you import the master record, the restricted data and the gallery deposit record separately.
The guides are currently searched and indexed in Spanish.
145 guides
The environmental footprint of a digital artwork: consumption, servers and what can be measured
Cómo delimitar y estimar sin falsa precisión el consumo y las emisiones de una obra digital: sala, servidores, red, dispositivos, fabricación y cadena de bloques.
Verified on 18 October 2026
- digital art
- digital infrastructure
- sustainability
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Social Security and visual artists: five questions before registering
Matters a visual artist must resolve before registering as self-employed: professional classification, contributions based on actual income, copyright withholding tax, measures within the Artist Statute…
Verified on 17 October 2026
- taxation
- Social Security
- cultural work
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How to budget for a small exhibition
No single figure suits every exhibition, but almost all of them overlook the same items. A method for budgeting a small show without leaving anything out.
Reviewed on 1 October 2026
- artwork documentation
- cultural policy
- cultural work
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Restitution and responsible acquisition: the provenance of a work
How to investigate the provenance of an artwork before purchase, which databases to consult and how to act if a problem arises subsequently.
Reviewed on 7 November 2026
- art collecting
- cultural heritage
- provenance
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Before buying a work: provenance, condition and documentation
What to check before buying a work: identity, provenance, attribution, condition, restrictions, rights and documentation of the sale.
Verified on 28 September 2026
- art collecting
- art market
- provenance
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How to work with a gallery: consignment, purchase and representation
Qué resolver por escrito al trabajar con una galería: entrega para venta, compra directa, exposición, representación, precio, liquidación, exclusiva, seguro, salida y qué hacer si la galería entra en concurso.
Verified on 27 September 2026
- art market
- cultural work
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How to reserve your rights against data mining
A reservation against text and data mining must be expressed in a machine-readable form when the work is online. Which signals to use and what none of them guarantees…
Verified on 10 October 2026
- rights
- generative AI
- digital infrastructure
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Provenance of a work of art: what it is and why it decides its fate
What the provenance of a work of art is, how it is researched, which international instruments apply and which European bodies examine claims.
Verified on 27 September 2026
- art collecting
- art market
- cultural heritage
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Moving your Bluesky account to Eurosky with EU-HAUL
Step by step: moving your Bluesky account to Eurosky's European server while keeping your identity, and what to check before and after.
Verified on 27 September 2026
- digital infrastructure
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How to read the rules of an open call
An order for reading the rules of awards, grants and residencies, and the clauses on rights, costs, insurance and return worth checking twice.
Verified on 27 September 2026
- cultural work
- institutional validation
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Corrections and contributions
If you find an error, outdated information or a better source, please write to me via the contact page. I correct confirmed errors and update the date of the affected guide.