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24 October 2026 · Updated at 07:47 GMT FR EN ES Member area Log in
Activities

Travelling exhibitions

Four exhibitions that travel the world: modular format, schedule of stops, host conditions and shared costs.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Exhibitions that go out to the public

The Lock at Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1872)
The Lock at Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1872)

Four of the six annual exhibitions are designed to travel. Their modular format, built in standardised crates, allows installation in two days in a room of 150 to 400 square metres. They thus reach audiences far from the major capitals.

Each exhibition stops in three to five countries a year, for periods of six to twelve weeks. Hosts are museums, libraries, universities or cultural centres.

This page describes the format, the circuit, the host conditions and the costs.

  • Touring
  • Hosts
  • Circuit

Touring exhibitions in figures

4Travelling exhibitions
3 to 5Stops per exhibition (indicative)
2 daysInstallation time
150 m²Minimum area (indicative)

Source: Events and Communications Directorate.

Breakdown

Africa28%
Asia-Pacific26%
Americas24%
Europe and the Middle East22%

Distribution of stops (indicative).

A format designed to travel

Panels, display cases and plinths are mounted on standardised transport crates, which also serve as furniture. Original works are replaced, depending on the case, by facsimiles or by local loans provided by the host.

Content is printed in three languages, with codes giving access to digital supplements in the local language.

Edge of the Woods Near L'Hermitage, Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1879)
Edge of the Woods Near L'Hermitage, Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1879)
Figure from a Crèche: Standing Mountain Goat (1780–1830)
Figure from a Crèche: Standing Mountain Goat (1780–1830)
The Four Seasons, Kano Tan’yū (1668)
The Four Seasons, Kano Tan’yū (1668)

The circuit of stops

The circuit is drawn up each autumn, taking into account hosts' requests, customs constraints and the balance between regions. A specialised carrier organises the convoys, with temporary admission formalities for cultural property.

An OIMAP registrar accompanies installation and dismantling and trains the local team in handling procedures.

Host conditions

The host provides a secure room, air-conditioned or ventilated, fitted with an alarm and supervised during opening hours. The host appoints a contact person and covers staff and local communication costs.

OIMAP covers design, transport between stops, insurance of the objects and training. A six-page agreement sets out these commitments.

Costs and funding

Transport costs are shared between the stops. For a host, the average contribution is between €4,000 and €9,000 (indicative). Support is available for low-income countries through a solidarity fund.

Hosts are encouraged to seek local sponsors, with OIMAP's agreement on the nature of the support and any display of it.

Typical stops on a circuit (indicative)

A one-year circuit
QuarterRegionFormat
Q1East Africa200 m² room
Q2Asia-Pacific300 m² room
Q3Europe150 m² room
Q4Americas400 m² room

Milestones

  1. First crate

    Standard format.

  2. African circuit

    Three stops.

  3. Digital version

    Remote visit.

  4. Four exhibitions

    On tour.

Applying as a host

Interior of a Synagogue, Alessandro Magnasco (c. 1725–35)
Interior of a Synagogue, Alessandro Magnasco (c. 1725–35)
Portrait of a Man, Gustave Caillebotte (1880)
Portrait of a Man, Gustave Caillebotte (1880)
Bull Head Attachment (c. 700–600 BCE)
Bull Head Attachment (c. 700–600 BCE)

Facsimile or original work

Gathering among the Members of Office Censor-General (1700s)

Facsimile

Faithful reproduction
  • Simple transport
  • Reduced cost
  • Less aura

For wide circulation.

Adoration of the Shepherds, Carlo Dolci (c. 1670)

Original work

Loan from a museum
  • Strong impact
  • Enhanced insurance
  • Increased security

For targeted stops.

Becoming a stop

  1. Express

    Your interest.

  2. Visit

    Room and security.

  3. Contract

    Agreement.

  4. Install

    With the registrar.

  5. Animate

    Local programme.

Room requirements

A host

Farmhouse on the Slope of a Hill, Fra Bartolommeo (c. 1508)
« Hosting the exhibition attracted audiences who had never come to the museum. Schools from the region came in large numbers. »
Mariam Diallo, director of a cultural centre, Dakar

Vocabulary of touring

Registrar
Technical lead for installation.
Temporary admission
Customs regime for goods in transit.
Facsimile
Faithful copy displayed in place of the original.
Stage
Stay in a host country.

Local mediation

Each stop includes a tailored mediation programme: opening lectures, workshops for schools, meetings with customs officers and curators in the region.

Teachers in the host country receive a translated pack, and local mediators are trained in a two-day session.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cost for a host?

A few thousand euros (indicative).

How long does a stop last?

Six to twelve weeks.

Who insures the works?

OIMAP, nail to nail.

How do I apply?

Useful documents

Contacts

The Grotto of Posillipo, Hubert Robert (c. 1769)
The Grotto of Posillipo, Hubert Robert (c. 1769)
Events and Communications DirectorateParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 07 00evenements@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Propose a project

Relief of Apollo with Nike (27 BCE–14 CE)

Apply as a host.

Propose an exhibition
Image credits (16)
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