Who is eligible?
For Dutch and non-Dutch galleries that subscribe to the Gallery Fair Practice Code, and publishers of art books.
Art Fair International grants strengthen the international standing of contemporary visual arts from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, and help it to become better known and appreciated.
When and how to apply?
Applications can be submitted at any time of the year, using our online application system. You will require an account before you can submit an application. If you do not already have an account, please apply for one on this website.
If the fair associated with your application is on the established list of art (book) fairs , you can submit an application up to six weeks before the fair opens. If the art (book) fair is not on the established list, please allow for a processing period of 3 months from the time that the application is submitted in full. No grants are awarded retrospectively.
The following is based on the deelregeling Art Fair Internationaal (in Dutch), as published in the Staatscourant.
Art Fair International for galleries
Dutch and non-Dutch galleries participating in an art fair outside of the Netherlands, and that subscribe to the Gallery Fair Practice Code, can apply for a contribution to support presentations of work by living visual artists from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
Gallery Fair Practice Code
As of July 2023, the Gallery Fair Practice Code applies to galleries seeking support from the Mondriaan Fund. The Mondriaan Fund collaborated with the Dutch Gallery Association (NGA) to develop this Code in order to strengthen the position of the artist in relation to the gallery. Galleries applying for an Art Fair International grant are obliged to sign the Gallery Fair Practice Code, actively apply the Code and explain what it entails. The galleries are expected to publish the Code in full and in a prominent position on their website, alongside the declaration that they endorse the Code.
For what
Stand rental to participate in an art fair with visual art from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
How much
The maximum grant depends on the percentage of work in the presentation by visual artists from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, and the cost of the (basic) stand rental.
- Percentage of presented works by visual artists from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom:
- Less than 40%: grant is not available.
- 40% to 80%: 50% of the basic stand rental up to the maximum grant.
- More than 80%: 80% of the basic stand rental up to the maximum grant.
- Stand rental:
- Less than € 20,000: maximum grant is € 4,750.
- € 20.000 to 30,000: maximum granti is € 6,750.
- More than € 30,000: maximum grant is € 9,000.
Example calculations
Example 1
60% of the presented work is by visual artists from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
Basic stand rental is € 21,000.
In this case, the contribution is 50% of the basic stand rental up to the maximum grant of € 6,750.
50% of € 21,000 is € 10,500, hence the contribution from the Mondriaan Fund is € 6,750.
Example 2
90% of the presented work is by visual artists from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
Basic stand rental is € 5,500.
In this case, the contribution is 80% of the basic stand rental up to the maximum grant of € 4,750.
80% of € 5,500 is € 4,400, hence the contribution from the Mondriaan Fund is € 4,400.
Terms & conditions Art Fair International for galleries
- Galleries are obliged to sign the Gallery Fair Practice Code, actively apply the Code and explain what it entails. The galleries are expected to publish the Code in full and in a prominent position on their website, alongside the declaration that they endorse the Code.
- Art galleries can apply for a grant to cover stand rental, but not to cover furnishing costs, VAT/BTW sales tax or other costs.
- An invitation from the art fair must be included with the application.
- The artists from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom must be artistically and substantively active within the visual arts field, and in this capacity, part of the professional art practice in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
- Galleries are permitted to submit a maximum of one application for stand rental per art fair.
- The Art Fair International grant cannot be awarded more than 3 times per calendar year.
Assessment Art Fair International for galleries
Mondriaan Fund staff check the submitted applications and attachments to ensure that they are complete.
Applications can be processed in 2 ways, depending on whether the art fair for which the application is submitted is on the Mondriaan Fund’s established list of art fairs. The distinction is as follows.
Applications for art fairs that are on the established list are awarded immediately as long as they satisfy the terms & conditions of Art Fair International, are submitted at least 6 weeks before the art fair opens, and sufficient budget is available.
Applications for art fairs that are not on the established list are assessed by an advisory committee. Such applications must therefore be submitted in full at least 3 months before the art fair opens.
A contribution for art fairs that are not on the established list can only be awarded if the advisory committee makes a positive recommendation regarding the criteria outlined below. When making a positive recommendation, the advisory committee can also recommend the amount of financial support to be awarded and the period during which this will be disbursed.
Due to budgetary restrictions, we are unfortunately not always able to award grants to all applications that receive positive recommendations from the committee. In this case, the Mondriaan Fund Board asks the advisory committee to prioritise the positive recommendations. This means that an application may receive a positive recommendation, but a grant is nevertheless not awarded, or that the contribution is lower.
Established list of art fairs
The Mondriaan Fund has compiled a list of art fairs with international appeal, based on the advice of an expert committee. This list can be updated with new art fairs on a quarterly basis. Art fairs are added to the list once one or more committees have made positive recommendations for at least 2 applications for the fair in question. On 1 January, art fairs may be removed from the list, if no applications for the fairs in question have been accepted over a period of 2 consecutive years.
Current list of art fairs:
ARCOmadrid (Madrid), ArtVerona (Verona), Art Antwerp (Antwerp), Art Basel (Basel), Art Basel (Miami), Art Basel (Hong Kong), Art Basel Paris (Paris), Art Brussels (Brussels), Art Busan (Busan), Art Cologne (Cologne), Art Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf), Art on Paper (Brussels), Artissima (Torino), Art-O-Rama (Marseille), Ceramic Brussels (Brussel), Drawing Now (Parijs), Enter Art Fair (Copenhagen), EXPO Chicago (Chicago), Frieze Londen (London), Independent New York (New York), June Art Fair (Bazel), Liste (Basel), LOOP Barcelona (Barcelona), Market Art Fair (Stockholm), MIART (Milaan), Paper Positions Berlijn (Berlin), Paris+ par Art Basel (Paris), Paris Photo (Paris), Paris Photo (New York), Photo Basel (Basel), Photo London (London), Positions (Berlin)Scope Miami (Miami), SWAB (Barcelona), The Armory Show (New York), Untitled Miami (Miami), Volta (Basel), Volta (New York) and ZONA MACO (Mexico City).
The advisory committee assesses your application on the basis of:
- Information about the significance and reputation of the fair; recent programming, public reach and media coverage.
- Information about the gallery submitting the application.
The advisory committee considers the following criteria:
The significance and (inter)national reputation of the fair:
- What is the standing of the fair in the Netherlands and abroad? As indicated by recent external ratings, e.g. reviews.
- Has the fair previously achieved convincing public reach? This will involve both qualitative and quantitative assessment. The committee assesses this aspect based on the fair’s past public reach in relation to the context in which it operates.
The significance and reputation of the gallery:
- How is the gallery’s programming rated in the Netherlands and abroad? As indicated by recent external ratings, e.g. reviews.
Checklist Art Fair International for galleries
In order to process your application, the Mondriaan Fund requires various information: details that you can enter in the application form and documents that you can upload. Below is a checklist outlining all of the required information, following the layout of the application form.
Tip: gather all of the required information before you start completing the online application form. Appendices can be uploaded as PDFs. Ensure you do not exceed the maximum number of pages, where stated
Checklist
Explanation of the gallery (max. 5 pages)
An explanation of the gallery submitting the application; a brief description of the gallery’s activities. Describe the gallery’s exhibition policy and the choice for the artists that it represents. Provide an overview of the gallery’s activities in the Netherlands and abroad in the past 2 years. Also mention how the activities were rated, as indicated in e.g. press coverage and reviews.
Project plan (max. 4 pages)
A project plan containing at least a schematic floor plan of the stand, with the names of the artists, number of works, measurements, and the percentage of works by living artists from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom (stating their place of residence and year of birth).
Proof of admission or application
A copy of proof of admission or application to the fair, stating the surface area of the stand.
Quotation
The quotation from the art fair for the total cost of renting the stand, stating the surface area of the stand and the basic rental price per square metre.
CVs of the artists (max. 3 pages per artist)
CV(s) of the artist(s), featuring the most significant details of their professional practice, with an emphasis on the last 2 to 4 years, such as exhibitions (indicate whether solo or group exhibitions), events, commissions, awards, publications (include years). Please also mention any ancillary activities, such as teaching or advisory positions. If applicable, please add all CVs to one PDF file.
If applicable
Explanation of the art fair (max. 5 pages)
Only in the case that your application is for participation in a fair not on the established list of international art fairs*; an explanation of the significance and reputation of the fair, recent programming, public reach and media coverage.
Extract from the Personal Records Database (BRP)
If the involved artist(s) does/do not have the Dutch nationality: a recent extract from the municipal Personal Records Database (a maximum of twelve months old).
*The Mondriaan Fund compiles a list of art fairs and a list of art book fairs with international appeal. Applications for grants to support participation in an art (book) fair not on this list are assessed by an advisory committee. The current list is available in the ‘Assessment’ section.
Ticked all the boxes? Start your application!
Art Fair International for publishers
Publishers of art books participating in an art book fair outside the Netherlands can apply for a grant to support the presentation of publications about contemporary visual arts in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
For what
The costs of participating in art book fairs with publications about contemporary visual art in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, such as stand rental, travel expenses and transport expenses.
How much
The maximum grant depends on the percentage of publications concerning visual artists from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom or concerning contemporary visual art in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom from the 21st century:
- The percentage is less than 25%: grant is not available.
- The percentage is between 25% and 50%: € 1,000.
- The percentage is more than 50%: € 2,000
Terms & conditions Art Fair International for publishers
- Publishers of art books can apply for a grant to help cover the costs of participating in an art book fair, such as stand rental, travel expenses and transport expenses, but not to cover furnishing costs, regular publisher’s costs or VAT.
- Publishers of art books are permitted to submit a maximum of one application per art book fair.
- The Art Fair International grant cannot be awarded more than 3 times per calendar year
Assessment of Art Fair International for publishers
Mondriaan Fund staff check the submitted applications and attachments to ensure that they are complete.
Applications can be processed in 2 ways, depending on whether the art book fair for which the application is submitted is on the Mondriaan Fund’s established list of art book fairs . The distinction is as follows.
Applications for art book fairs that are on the established list are awarded immediately as long as they satisfy the terms & conditions of Art Fair International, are submitted at least 6 weeks before the art fair opens, and sufficient budget is available.
Applications for art book fairs that are not on the established list are assessed by an advisory committee. Such applications must therefore be submitted at least 3 months before the art fair opens.
A contribution for art book fairs that are not on the established list can only be awarded if the advisory committee makes a positive recommendation regarding the criteria outlined below. When making a positive recommendation, the advisory committee can also recommend the amount of financial support to be awarded and the period during which this will be disbursed.
Due to budgetary restrictions, we are unfortunately not always able to award grants to all applications that receive positive recommendations from the committee. In this case, the Mondriaan Fund Board asks the advisory committee to prioritise the positive recommendations. This means that an application may receive a positive recommendation, but a grant is nevertheless not awarded, or that the contribution is lower.
Established list of art book fairs
The Mondriaan Fund has compiled a list of significant art book fairs with international appeal, based on the advice of an expert committee. This list can be updated with new art book fairs on a quarterly basis. Art book fairs are added to the list once one or more committees have made positive recommendations for at least 2 applications for the fair in question. On 1 January, art book fairs may be removed from the list, if no applications for the fairs in question have been accepted over a period of 2 consecutive years.
Current established list of art book fairs:
Frankfurter Buchmesse (Frankfurt), Index Art Book Fair (Mexico City), Miss Read Berlin (Berlijn), Offprint (Londen) en Offprint (Parijs), Printed Matter Art Book Fair (New York) en Printed Matter Art Book Fair (Los Angeles), Polycopies (Parijs), Recreo Valencia Art Book Fair (Valencia), The Unlimited Art Book Fair (Seoul), Tokyo Art Book Fair (Tokyo), Vienna Art Book Fair (Wenen), Volumes Art Publishing Days (Zurich).
The committee assesses the application based on:
- Information about the significance and reputation of the fair; recent programming, public reach and media coverage.
- Information about the publisher submitting the application.
The advisory committee considers the following criteria:
The significance and (inter)national reputation of the fair:
- What is the standing of the fair in the Netherlands and abroad? As indicated by recent external ratings, e.g. reviews.
- Has the fair previously achieved convincing public reach? This will involve both qualitative and quantitative assessment. The committee assesses this aspect based on the fair’s past public reach in relation to the context in which it operates.
The significance and reputation of the publisher:
- How is the publisher rated in the Netherlands and abroad? As indicated by recent external ratings, e.g. reviews.
Checklist Art Fair International for publishers
In order to process your application, the Mondriaan Fund requires various information: details that you can enter in the application form and documents that you can upload. Below is a checklist outlining all of the required information, following the layout of the application form.
Tip: gather all of the required information before you start completing the online application form. Appendices can be uploaded as PDFs. Ensure you do not exceed the maximum number of pages, where stated.
Checklist
Explanation of the publisher (max. 5 pages)
A brief description of the publisher’s principles and of the choice for the books that it publishes. Provide an overview of the activities in the Netherlands and abroad in the last 2 years. Also mention how the activities were rated, as indicated in e.g. press coverage and reviews.
Project plan (max. 4 pages)
A project plan featuring a comprehensive list of all publications to be exhibited at the fair. Also state the percentage of publications concerning contemporary visual art in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom from the 21st century, or concerning work by living visual artists from the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
Proof of admission or application to the fair
Copy of the proof of admission or application to the fair;
If applicable:
Explanation of the art book fair (max. 5 pages)
Only in the case that your application is for participation in a fair not on the established list of international art book fairs *; an explanation of the significance and reputation of the fair, recent programming, public reach and media coverage.
*The Mondriaan Fund compiles a list of art fairs and a list of art book fairs with international appeal. Applications for grants to support participation in an art (book) fair not on this list are assessed by an advisory committee. The current list is available in the ‘For what’ section.