Art Commission

The Mondriaan Fund Makes It Possible
Do you want to commission an artist to create new work or works that will be visible to everyone, in a publicly accessible space, for example in a hospital, museum or shopping centre? Or would you like to establish a partnership or supportive collaboration with an artist? If so, you may be eligible for an Art Commission grant from the Mondriaan Fund.

Here are the possibilities:

Art Commission
With this grant, anyone without intention to sell the work can commission visual artists to create new works of art accessible to the public in the Netherlands.

The Mondriaan Fund Art Commission grant stimulates commissions given to artists. Therefore it also stimulates the market and the visibility of art, as well as engagement between clients, artists and the public.

For whom
Art Commission grants are for parties in the public or private sector or for public-private partnerships such as individuals, organizations, institutions, companies and so on.

For what
Art Commission grants are intended for the production of publicly accessible works of art. This could be a single commission for 1 or more artists, or a longercollaboration, for example, between a museum and an artist which centres on the intensive following and presenting of the work. Or the production of new work during a period of no more than 4 years.

For new clients
Would you like to commission a work of art that is accessible to the public, but are not familiar with the ins and outs of commissioning art? Potential clients who are not situated in the museum or professional art platform circuit can first apply for funding to help develop their project. This will help you gain professional expertise for the creation of a plan or for covering the costs of the study or sketch phase of the commission.

How much
The amount of the stipend is individually determined for each application. That amount can be awarded in the form of:
– a grant for a concrete commission, covering no more than 50% of the costs, such as production and presentation;
– a grant for an exceptionally longer collaboration with an artist, totalling no more than 50% of the costs for a period of up to 4 years.
– a grant for the development phase of a commission, totalling no more than 70% of the costs, up to a maximum of € 15,000.

• How and when to apply

  Applications can be submitted at any time of the year, using the Mondriaan Fund’s online application system. You must first establish an account with the Mondriaan Fund before you can apply. When determining your dates, always allow for a processing period of 3 months from the time your application is submitted in full, as grants cannot be awarded retroactively.

• Terms and Conditions

  • anyone can apply, with the exception of individual artists, institutes for higher art education and commercial art institutes or organizations;
  • any applicant must reside in the Netherlands, including Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint-Eustatius or Sint Maarten;
  • the work to be commissioned must be accessible to the public and presented in the Netherlands;
  • the work may not be for profit;
  • a realistic fee for the artist is obligatory and must be included in the budget, together with production costs;
  • the artist receiving the commission must:
    – be working for at least 1 year as a professional visual artist and be registered as such with the Kamer van Koophandel (KvK); or
    – have had at least 3 years of higher art education and have been working as a professional visual artist for at least 1 year; or
    – have been working as a professional visual artist for at least 3 years.

  If this concerns a permanent work of art, it may not be moved or traded without permission from the Mondriaan Fund. Moving or trading the work is also not possible without realistic reimbursement to the artist.

  Read all the terms and conditions of the Art Commission grant.

  Read also the General Terms and Conditions of the Mondriaan Fund.

• Assessing the applications

  Mondriaan Fund staff check the submitted applications and attachments to ensure that they are complete. Once an application is complete, it is submitted to the committee that advises on awarding the Art Commission grant. Click here to see what happens to your application.

  The advisory committee assesses your application on the basis of:

  • information from the commissioning party concerning your own profile;
  • the plan, including a motivation for the choice of the artist and the commissioned work, the way in which the collaboration offers added value for both artist and commissioning party, a study sketch of the work, and a presentation plan that explains how a suitable audience will be reached;
  • explanation of the work of the artist;
  • curriculum vitae of the artist;
  • visual documentation of the work of the artist, including a plan or study sketch;
  • (general) budget with financing plan, including an explanation of financial agreements made between the client and the artist, with a realistic artist fee made available by the commissioning party;
  • Where applicable: long-term plans for the work, such as a possible purchase after a longer working relationship between a museum and an artist.

  The advisory committee considers the following criteria:

  • your own role and qualities as commissioning party;
  • the quality of the oeuvre of the artist, its development, and the quality of the artist’s cultural entrepreneurship;
  • the quality of the working plan and the way in which you intend to reach a suitable public;
  • the added value of this collaboration between the commissioning party, the artist and the destination of the work;
  • the feasibility of the proposal;
  • the visibility of the completed work.

  An Art Commission grant can only be awarded if the committee advises to that effect. In addition, the advisory committee can make recommendations concerning the amount of the financial stipend and the period for which this is valid.

  Due to our limited budget, it is not possible to award grants to all those whose applications receive positive advisories from the committee. The board of the Mondriaan Fund consequently requests the advisory committee to consider the approved applications against one another and rank them in order of priority. This can mean that an application can be positively assessed, but the applicant is nonetheless not always awarded a grant.

• Checklist

  To process your application, the Mondriaan Fund needs information. All of this information can be submitted in the application form itself, along with documentation that you can upload. Here below is a checklist that follows the layout of the application form and contains all the information required. Tip: collect all your information before you start filling out the online application form. Your attachments should be uploaded as PDFs. Important: wherever a maximum number of pages is given, do not exceed that number of pages! Additional pages will be disregarded.

  Attachments from the commissioning party

  Information about the commissioning party (5 pages maximum)
  Describe your own profile as the person or organization offering the commission. Give an explanation of the organization, the institution or the initiative. Also describe any commissions already given to artists and possible collaborations with, for example, presentation platforms or museums. Describe the visibility of the work to be commissioned and the way you will attract an audience for the work.

  If you are applying on behalf of a cultural institution, briefly describe the mission, vision and objective of the organization, its programme of activities and/or collection. Provide insight into the public reach and visibility of the activities and, if applicable, the collection.

  Plan (15 pages maximum)
  For the development stage of a project on commission, describe and motivate:
  – the objective of the commission or long-term collaboration;
  – what you want to develop or research;
  – what kind of expertise you are engaging to achieve this.

  For a commissioned work of art or long-term collaboration, describe and motivate:
  – the substance of the concept and the objective of the commission;
  – how the collaboration brings added value for the oeuvre of the artist and for yourself as the commissioning party;
  – the selection of the artist and the commission;
  – the study sketch;
  – long-term plans for the work, including potential purchase;
  – your own contribution to both content and financing;
  – financial and business agreements with the artist about fee, ownership, legal rights and other relevant issues;
  – how the public will be reached.

  Applyingcodes
  All cultural organizations in the Netherlands subscribe to the Dutch Fair Practice Code (Click here to see Fair Practice Code information and tips), the Governance Code Cultuur (Governance Code for Culture) and the Code Diversiteit & Inclusie (Code on Diversity & Inclusion), which automatically means that the institution or organization applies the guideline for artists’ fees.

  Attachments concerning the artist
  (unless this concerns a development stipend for an as yet unknown amount)

  Explanation of the work (1 page maximum per artist)
  Explain the work and the professional practice of the artist or artists, based on the principles underlying its content and starting points. Mention any possible collaborative connections. Include all of these documents in a single PDF.

  Curriculum Vitae (2 pages maximum)
  Submit a brief curriculum vitae with the most important information about the professional practice, notably focused on the last 1 to 4 years, such as exhibitions (indicate solo or group), events, commissions, awards and publications, indicating the year of each. Also mention associated activities, such as teaching, advisory or jury positions. Include all of these documents in a single PDF.

  Visual documentation
  Create a single PDF including visual documentation of work from the last 1 to 4 years, in no more than 20 digital images (total maximum of 100 MB). It is important here that the documentation is representative of the work and relevant to the application. Ensure that the materials used are well distinguished. You can also upload sound, video or film fragments. In that case, the total size and duration of the submitted documentation, including both the visual presentation and separate fragments, can be no more than 300 MB and no more than 15 minutes in duration. Click here for technical specifications for your uploaded documentation.

  Include a numbered documentation list (in PDF) that corresponds with your visual documentation, with descriptions or captions for the relevant images, sound, video or film clips. (For example: 01, Title, 2020, loop 2 min.)

  Where applicable:

  Statement from the participating artist or artists
  This must include permission for the application, including mention that the artist is aware of and in agreement with the financial structure of the commission. Include all of these declarations in a single PDF.

  A recent (less than 1 year old) and valid registration with the Kamer van Koophandel (KvK, Chamber of Commerce)

  Bank details
  If your application is approved, we need your bank account number in order to transfer funds. If you have applied for funding from the Mondriaan Fund in the past, we may already have this information. If your account number has changed or if it is new to the Mondriaan Fund, upload a bank statement which clearly includes your name and IBAN (International Bank Account Number).

  Personal Records Database (BRP) extract
  If the artist or artists do not have Dutch nationality, include a recent extract, no more than 3 months old, from the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP) where they live, showing that they reside in the Netherlands.

  Diploma, degree or school deregistration
  If the artist or artists have been working professionally for less than 3 years, we need a copy of their diploma or degree from the arts educational institution, or else a statement from the art school indicating that the artist left before graduating. Include these in a single PDF.

  Global budget
  If the application concerns a long-term collaboration, a global budget and financing plan is required. It must include a realistic honorarium for the artist, to be paid by the client giving the commission, along with production costs and expenses, for example for transport, travel, lodging, etc. It should also include a declaration that the project could not be realized without assistance from the Mondriaan Fund. Guidelines for artists’ fees must be adhered to.

  Specified budget with financing plan
  Click here for an explanation of budgets for institutions or organizations (in Dutch).

  If the application concerns a concrete commission or a development stipend, we request a specified budget and financing plan that covers the total, and not just the segment for which you are applying for assistance from the Mondriaan Fund. This also needs to include a realistic fee for the artist, along with production costs and expenses, in which the guidelines of the Dutch Rijksgebouwendienst (Government Buildings Agency) or guidelines for artists’ fees are respected. Arts and heritage institutes may not apply for the artists’ fees.

  Letters confirming contributions from third parties
  Include all letters in a single PDF.

  Price estimates covering crucial entries in the budget
  Include all cost estimates in a single PDF.

  An explanation of the long-term plans for the work, including possible purchase

• Questions?

  If something is not entirely clear, please feel free to contact the Mondriaan Fund staff.

  Marijn Veenhuijzen (020-5231672), Carmen Muskee (020-5231511), Bonnie Dumanaw (020-5231600) or call the general phone number (020-5231523).

  The following is based on the deelregeling Kunst Opdracht (in Dutch).

• Tips and examples

  Click here to read interviews with Art Commission grant recipients and see examples of approved applications.