Do galleries have a responsibility to commission work?

Risk and new creative territory are core to commissioning for some institutions, building visibility and viability in the arts ecosystem.
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Chen Qiulin, One Hundred Names (2016), exhibition view 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art. Courtesy the artist and A Thousand Plateaus Art Space, Chengdu. Photo Document Photography

To keep our arts ecosystem strong, organisations need to be commissioning new work that is in sync with our times, from the local to an international perspective. This not only secures the livelihood of artists but also that of the organisation by ensuring visibility of its programming and building vitality as a destination.

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Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's Senior Contributor, after 12 years in the role as National Visual Arts Editor. She has worked for extended periods in America and Southeast Asia, as gallerist, arts administrator and regional contributing editor for a number of magazines, including Hong Kong based Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. She is an Art Tour leader for the AGNSW Members, and lectures regularly on the state of the arts. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Instagram: fairleygina