Archive from artist Pjeroo Roobjee, Elzele. Photo: CKV (2022).
How do you take care of your artistic legacy?
Looking after an archive and an oeuvre does not stop when the artist dies. Heirs or other stakeholders often wish to take steps to keep the artist’s physical and intellectual legacy alive for a wider audience. Organising the practical aspects of this is not easy. There is no single template, because every legacy is unique and requires a customised approach. Managing a legacy takes time and resources, and it is often an emotional undertaking as well.
The CKV’s ‘Legacies for the Visual Arts’ Guide provides guidelines for artists, heirs and other stakeholders to get started with an artistic legacy. The guide is a collection of knowledge, expertise and experiences from the field of arts heritage. Along with practical examples, this guide offers many practical tips and tricks for taking care of a legacy in the visual arts. It is a tool that includes explanations of various steps and possibilities. The guide draws attention to the four components of an artistic legacy: the archive, the artist’s oeuvre, the (former) studio and/or home, and the intellectual legacy. How these four components can be made accessible to others, and the various aspects of establishing an estate – now or in the future – are discussed in more detail.
The ‘Legacies for the Visual Arts’ Guide is an open, up-to-date and dynamic guide to which new practices, experiences and insights can be added. The CKV’s main focus here is on queries and needs that arise in the field.
Do you have a question about your artistic legacy? Explore our guide: it’s full of inspiration, practical tips and examples from the field. You are also welcome to contact the CKV – We look forward to thinking things through with you.
