Behind the scenes: the publication makers

Behind the scenes

The publication makers

Most exhibitions at M are accompanied by a publication: a book about the works or the artists. Our colleague Babette Rummens explains how these are created, step by step.

We give exhibitions a second life

Babette Rummens

Exhibitions Staff Member

“M’s exhibitions usually run for around six months, but thanks to our publications, we give them a second life. Additionally, these books serve as a calling card, also positioning the museum as a scientific institution. We can take them to other museums and curators to showcase the projects we have already organized. For contemporary artists, this is also a way of putting their work in the spotlight, as we naturally want to offer them our wholehearted support. Sometimes a book becomes an objet d’art in itself, because it showcases work that cannot be displayed in any other way, or because the artist has included new sketches or drawings. Moreover, a publication of this kind offers people who did not manage to visit the exhibition a second chance.”

Elisa Maenhout voor M Leuven — © Elisa Maenhout

Concept

“Books on historical art often take a slightly different approach to contemporary ones. The former typically collates scholarly articles written specifically for the publication. The key is to decide which topics to highlight – a task typically undertaken by the curators. With contemporary art, you can collaborate with the artist. They will often have a very strong vision, and here the task is to help bring that vision to life.”

Who does what?

“We usually collaborate with a publishing house. We then agree on a clear division of labour: what exactly we will provide and what they will handle. However, for Els Nouwen’s exhibition, we are now going to create a publication independently. M has done this before, but it’s a first for me. This means that we have to take care of everything ourselves: not only texts, images, and design; but also paper selection, printing, distribution, applying for an ISBN, and so on.”

Collecting materials

“For classical art, experts from both within and outside M write the texts. Collating the images is a major undertaking: the authors specify exactly which photographs they want. We then request the images and the rights from the institutions where the works are held – often these are the people loaning us works for the exhibition. This process is generally smoother with contemporary artists: they usually collaborate with trusted photographers, or a gallery, and can provide the images as a cohesive set. They often also know which authors they want: individuals who can speak or write exceptionally well about their work. For historical art, the curators review everything; while for contemporary art, it is the curator and the artist who do this together. And we also do the final editing ourselves. For Dutch texts, I often take care of this personally; for other languages, we hire an external editor.”

Design

“Once all the materials are ready – texts edited, images selected – the designer can start laying out the pages. For classical art, M has a significant input; while for contemporary art, the artist will have equal decision-making power. Artists are inherently very visually oriented, so for them, this is a fundamental part of the project. We therefore make a conscious effort to ensure that the relationship between the artist and the designer is harmonious. That there’s a connection, because not every designer is a good fit for every artist. Ultimately, a picture editor also checks the colour accuracy of the photographs: the colours in the publication must precisely match those in the artworks.”

Proof and printing

“First, we receive the colour proofs: all the photographs printed side by side. We then check these with the curator or the artist. If the colours are correct, a test print follows; unbound at this stage, and without a cover, but already on the right paper. We proofread this meticulously, and once all the errors have been eliminated, the book can go to print.”

Distribution

“We usually organize a book launch – the perfect opportunity for enthusiasts to purchase a copy straight away. If we collaborate with a publisher, they handle the distribution. For self-published works, we need to find our own distributor. The latter ensures the book reaches all the places where there’s interest, including abroad: museums, specialist bookshops, and so on. Here at M, we sell our publications at Barbóék in M on the ground floor. It’s very gratifying: we hear from our shop and reception colleagues that there’s a huge demand for them.”