Art Fair Planning 3.0 – Interview with Setareh

“User Stories” features our clients’ experiences when using our products in the workplace. The gallery Setareh, for instance, has been using fairplanner by cura3D since autumn 2018. Christina Wigger is responsible for planning art fairs for the gallery and spoke to us about her tasks.

ARTBUTLER: When do you plan which art fair?

Christina Wigger: Depending on the show’s requirements, we generally start planning an art fair ca. 2- 3 months before it begins. All you need to know to start the planning process is the exact booth size and its position in the exhibition hall. I then prepare different models in cura3D and as soon as we have decided on the booth’s design, we send our layout to the art fair construction team.

A: Which works do you consider for art fairs when, for instance, artists’ works are still in progress?

W: Where this is the case, we work with placeholders. If we know the artworks’ sizes, for instance, we’ll use existing works by the same artist from our database to gain a first impression in our 3D model. For this purpose, we’ll create a work group in ARTBUTLER CLASSIC with suitable works and upload them to the programme.

A: Why did you opt for cura3D and which situation did it help you with?

W: We used to work with traditional models made from architectural cardboard, which was very time consuming: We had to calculate the size of the exhibition walls and manually cute them. Every modification meant we had to redo the entire design, which was especially time consuming when dealing with large booths with complex designs.

We can save enormous amounts of time with cura3D! For example: I have just created four entirely different versions of a booth in only 60 minutes. It is possible to test ideas and experiment with variations. The 3D view provides model displays as well as the wonderful opportunity to experience the hanging from the viewer’s perspective.

A: What do you consider the biggest benefit when working with cura 3D?

W: Saving time is definitely the biggest benefit. This comes down to the cooperation of cura3D and our ARBUTLER data base. We can import a created work group to the fairplanner in only two minutes. I can then proceed to hang the automatically scaled down artworks onto the walls. I can also experiment with wall colours in just a few clicks. Planning has become faster, more flexible, and significantly more creative.

Thank you to Christina Wigger (Sales & Communication) from Setareh for the interview and for providing images. View the gallery’s website here.

Installation view SETAREH, Photograph: Ivo Faber / © Grace Hartigan Estate. / © The Michael (Corinne) West Estate. / © 2018 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc./ VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2018.
Courtesy Gagosian / Charlotte Park © James Brooks and Charlotte Park Foundation.