Working for fame or fees? Tensions in exhibition work

Abstract

Purpose The paper explores the job marketisation of exhibition work by examining the coexistence of traditional and new market norms and the tensions these conflicting norms generate. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, the paper examines this marketisation through the case of the Swedish MU agreement, introduced to regulate artists' work and income when exhibiting at publicly funded institutions. Findings Conflicting norms contribute to artists pursuing both symbolic and monetary income simultaneously, creating four dimensions of tension. When facing these tensions, artists employ practices of prioritisation, negotiation and guessing. Research limitations/implications The study suggests that marketisation often entails the coexistence of competing norms rather than straightforward change. This coexistence generates tensions, requiring actors to develop coping practices. By examining exhibition work as a case of job marketisation, the study calls for greater attention to how market reforms are experienced and enacted in everyday work practices, and how competing remuneration principles shape professional identities, exchanges and labour market participation. Practical implications The paper offers insights into how a specific marketisation process in the art world unfolds in practice. Open discussion about the tensions generated by this job marketisation, and about the prioritising, guessing and negotiating practices that arise when coping with them, may contribute to a better-functioning job market. Originality/value The study contributes to research on artistic labour by examining an under-researched income category, how new income norms are experienced and managed in everyday practice, and by offering an empirically grounded account of the changing status of display exhibitions in the contemporary art world.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Arts and the Market, 2026 · DOI ↗