How I decide what's on Plaarts
What belongs on Plaarts, and why
01. What Plaarts is for
Plaarts exists to help people discover art happening right now in their city: exhibitions at galleries, artist-run spaces, and project spaces that might otherwise fly under the radar. We champion living artists, emerging talent, and the local art ecosystem.
We are not a comprehensive cultural events calendar. Major museums and blockbuster exhibitions already have visibility. Plaarts is for the rest: the gallery opening down the street, the graduate show at the art academy, the experimental space trying something new.
02. What we include
Commercial galleries
Art galleries showing work by living artists, regardless of the artist's reputation. The gallery's curatorial voice is part of the local art scene.
Artist-run spaces
Spaces initiated and run by artists, often showing experimental or emerging work.
Project spaces
Non-commercial or semi-commercial spaces with a curatorial programme focused on contemporary art.
University & art school exhibitions
Graduate shows, student exhibitions, and academic gallery programmes. These are where emerging artists first show their work and deserve visibility.
03. What we exclude
Major museums
Large institutions with substantial public funding, permanent collections, and established audiences. They already have visibility. Plaarts exists for the rest.
National cultural institutions
Government-backed institutions focused on specific cultural domains that operate at national scale.
Historical retrospectives
Exhibitions focused on historical artists or deceased masters. Our focus is on living artists and current practice.
04. Case by case
Some venues and exhibitions I think about case by case. The question I'm asking myself: does this give genuine insight into the local scene and help people find work they wouldn't otherwise see?
Experimental institutions
Some institutions operate more like project spaces than museums, focusing on emerging practices, experimental work, and research. When their programming aligns with our discovery mission, they may be included.
Art fairs
Art fairs focused on emerging galleries, affordable art, or local and regional scenes are considered for inclusion. Major international fairs with ample visibility typically fall outside our scope.
Pop-ups & temporary spaces
Generally included, as these often showcase emerging artists and experimental work that deserves to be discovered.
05. How we decide
When evaluating a venue or exhibition, we ask ourselves four guiding questions:
Would our users discover this without us?
If it's already getting substantial press coverage and institutional support, we're probably not adding value.
Does it support living artists?
Our focus is on art being made now, not historical retrospectives.
Is it part of the local art ecosystem?
Galleries, artist-run spaces, and project spaces are the backbone of any city's art scene.
Does the venue's ethos align with ours?
Experimental institutions that operate like project spaces may fit, even if they're technically institutions.
When in doubt, we lean towards inclusion, because every artist and space deserves a chance to be discovered.
See what's on
See what galleries, artist-run spaces, and project spaces are showing right now.