Fears for art exhibitions
Extra fees and red tape may stifle the free flow of works, experts fear
GALLERIES may lose out on hosting some of the world’s finest art exhibitions following Britain’s decision to leave the EU, it is feared.
Galleries and museums are currently exempt from paying tariffs when loaning artworks between Scotland and other EU countries.
However, gallery directors and registrars – who manage the contraflow of artwork – fear that being outside the EU will lead to extra charges and to bureaucracy which could stifle the staging of top-class exhibitions.
The extra costs and drain on resources may hinder collaborations with other major galleries, and damage the free flow of art between Scotland’s galleries and abroad – which is key to international-quality shows.
Facing The World, a self-portrait exhibition which opened this weekend at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, features art ranging from Rembrandt to Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei and is significant example of such collaboration.
It is being staged in concert with the Musée des Beaux Art in Lyon, France and the Staatliche Kunsthalle in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Arthur Watson, president of the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA), whose annual show opens this weekend, said: “None of these collections could have afforded to do these exhibitions without the participation of the other two (international venues).
“It is not just the extra tariffs. Other costs were often met by European funding, so it’s a double hit, and I think the effects are going to be very serious.”
Kathy Richmond, the chairwoman of the UK Registars Group, said she was “very concerned” after Brexit about both a possibility levying of charges on loaned art as well as the extra resources required to organise exhibitions, with costly and time-consuming bureaucracy.
“We really hope it does not lead (to fewer shows) because a lot of people are working really hard to allow art to flow between museums and galleries,” she said.
These were all issues that would have to be explored, with no concrete answers at the moment.
Sarah McCrory, the director of the Glasgow International visual arts festival, said: “I imagine the cost of putting on exhibitions will increase for people needing to move art around the world.”
Hundreds of major art works are loaned, and are received as loans, every year at Scotland’s major galleries. The National Galleries of Scotland (NGS), for example, loaned 800 works of art to other galleries in the last year, and received 1,200 in return.
Loaning and borrowing works of art is the the bedrock of ‘blockbuster’ summer shows such as the Surrealist and Impressionist shows being staged this summer in Edinburgh.
A spokeswoman for the NGS said: “The National Galleries of Scotland’s current process for the import/export of cultural goods is linked to both EU and UK legislation and a change to our EU status would be reflected in this process.
“It is possible that tariffs and/or duty that we are currently exempt from paying might be applied. The NGS will continue to monitor the situation and seek information and advocate where necessary.”
It’s not just the extra tariffs. Other costs were often met by European funding, so it’s a double hit, and I think the effects are going to be very serious