Observe · Regulate · Protect — since 2007. 19th OIMAP General Assembly: Singapore, 10–12 June 2026. Programme
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for the Art Market and Heritage
24 October 2026 · Updated at 07:47 GMT FR EN ES Member area Log in
Activities

Exhibitions

Six exhibitions on show each year, four of them travelling: programme, international circulation and project proposals.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 4 min read

Pages in this section

Farmhouse on the Slope of a Hill, Fra Bartolommeo (c. 1508)Exhibitions now showingThe year's six exhibitions: themes, venues, dates, prices, guided tours and accessibility.› The Lock at Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1872)Travelling exhibitionsFour exhibitions that travel the world: modular format, schedule of stops, host conditions and shared costs.› Portrait of a Man, Gustave Caillebotte (1880)Propose an exhibitionHow to submit an exhibition project: criteria, application file, review committee, timetable and partners' commitments.›

Showing to raise awareness

Portrait of Isabella Brant, Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1620–25)
Portrait of Isabella Brant, Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1620–25)

Exhibiting a restituted work, an exposed forgery or a collection saved from looting makes OIMAP's missions visible. Each year the Organization presents six exhibitions on show, four of which travel from one country to another thanks to a standardised packing and loan system.

The exhibitions are designed with Member States, museums and cooperation partners. They are aimed at the general public as well as professionals, and are accompanied by mediation activities, catalogues and guided tours.

This section presents the exhibitions on show, the travelling exhibitions and how to propose an exhibition.

  • Exhibitions
  • Mediation
  • Heritage

Exhibitions in figures

6Exhibitions on show per year
4Travelling exhibitions
12Host countries per year (indicative)
85,000Annual visitors (indicative)

Source: Events and Communications Directorate.

Three pages

Marble head of a youth (117–161 CE)ProgrammeOn show

Current programme.

›The Four Seasons, Kano Tan’yū (1668)CirculationTravelling

Exhibitions that travel.

›Still Life with Sweets, Juan van der Hamen y Léon (1622)ProjectPropose an exhibition

Submit a project.

›

Breakdown

Restituted works30%
Forgeries and authentication25%
Endangered heritage25%
History of the market20%

Exhibition themes (indicative).

Edge of the Woods Near L'Hermitage, Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1879)
Edge of the Woods Near L'Hermitage, Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1879)
Head (1200s)
Head (1200s)
Gathering among the Members of Office Censor-General (1700s)
Gathering among the Members of Office Censor-General (1700s)

An annual programme

The programme is settled each autumn for the following year. It balances four main themes: restituted works, authentication and forgeries, endangered heritage and the history of the art market. Each exhibition is overseen by a scientific committee of curators, lawyers and accredited experts.

The calendar is published in the Organization's calendar of events and relayed by the newsletter. Opening dates, hours and fees are specified for each host venue.

The role of OIMAP

OIMAP does not own a museum. It designs the routes, coordinates loans, funds packing and insurance, and provides hosts with a turnkey file: texts in three languages, digital materials, a mediation programme and a communication kit.

Host institutions remain responsible for the security of the rooms and for receiving the public. An agreement sets out the division of roles for each exhibition.

Target audiences

The exhibitions are aimed first at families and school groups, for whom adapted booklets and workshops are offered. They also interest market professionals and public officials, who find concrete cases of investigation, restitution or conservation.

The content is accessible: audio description, large-print texts, a tactile route for certain works and sign-language tours on request.

Teaching through objects

Each exhibition starts from real objects or faithful reproductions and tells a story: that of a stolen work later recovered, of a forgery exposed by pigment analysis, of a protected archaeological site. The texts remain short and factual.

Digital devices make it possible to scan the OIMAP number of a work to consult its record and history in the BIOP registry.

Typical programme for a year (indicative)

A year of exhibitions
PreviewFormatCirculation
Works recoveredTravellingFour countries
Famous forgeriesTravellingThree countries
Endangered heritageTravellingFive countries
History of the marketOn show in ParisHeadquarters
Prize of the yearOn show in SingaporeGeneral Assembly
RestitutionsOn show in NairobiRegional branch

Milestones

  1. First exhibition

    Restituted works.

  2. First travelling format

    Standardised crates.

  3. Digital route

    Scan of the OIMAP number.

  4. Six exhibitions

    Annual programme.

The Brook, Paul Cezanne (c. 1895–1900)
The Brook, Paul Cezanne (c. 1895–1900)
Lace Towel End (c. 1700s–1800s)
Lace Towel End (c. 1700s–1800s)
Triad (early 900s)
Triad (early 900s)

Loans of works

On show or travelling

Bidri Hookah Bowl with Roses (c. 1650s)

On show

Fixed venue
  • Duration of several months
  • Full scenography
  • A single audience

For a flagship event.

The Departure of Saints Paula and Eustochium for the Holy Land, Giuseppe Bottani

Travelling

Several countries
  • Modular format
  • Wide audience
  • Quick installation

To reach several regions.

Hosting an exhibition

  1. Apply

    Express interest.

  2. Visit

    Venue inspection.

  3. Sign

    Hosting agreement.

  4. Install

    Installation.

  5. Mediation

    Associated programme.

Preparing your visit

A visitor

Saint Jerome and the Lion (From the former Church of St. Peter in Erfurt), Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1495)
« The exhibition made me understand that a stolen work can be found again. I learned to look at an object differently. »
Clara Montesinos, teacher, Madrid

Exhibition vocabulary

Travelling exhibition
Exhibition designed to travel.
Condition report
Description of the condition of a work before a loan.
Nail-to-nail
Insurance covering the whole journey.
Mediation
Support for visitors.

Evaluation and feedback

Each exhibition is evaluated on the basis of attendance, visitor questionnaires and feedback from hosts. The results inform the choice of themes for the following year.

Hosts are invited to report logistical difficulties so as to improve transport and display conditions.

Frequently asked questions

Do the exhibitions charge admission?

Access depends on the host venue; some are free.

Can a theme be proposed?
Are school visits available?

Yes, by reservation.

Where can I find the programme?

Useful documents

Contacts

A Palace with an Arched Bridge (A Roman Villa), Hubert Robert (1760)
A Palace with an Arched Bridge (A Roman Villa), Hubert Robert (1760)
Events and Communications DirectorateParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 07 00evenements@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

See the exhibitions now showing

Figure (kiteki) (late 1800s–mid-1900s)

Dates, venues and prices.

On show
Image credits (23)
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