Introduction
Your IB Visual Arts exhibition is more than a showcase — it’s a statement about your creativity, research, and artistic growth. The challenge many students face isn’t producing artwork, but deciding which pieces best represent their journey. With limited space and specific assessment criteria, curating your exhibition requires careful thought and strategy.
In this guide, we’ll break down how to select artworks that highlight your skills, reflect your themes, and impress examiners. By the end, you’ll know exactly what to include (and what to leave out) so your exhibition feels both professional and personal.
Quick Start Checklist
Before you finalize your exhibition, ask yourself:
- Does this piece reflect my overall theme or narrative?
- Have I shown a variety of techniques, media, and ideas?
- Does the work demonstrate growth over time?
- Have I connected cultural or contextual influences?
- Will examiners see my personal voice and risk-taking?
If you can answer “yes” to these, you’re on the right track.
Understanding the Exhibition Rubric
The IB Visual Arts exhibition is assessed across several key criteria:
- Coherence – how well your artworks connect as a unified body.
- Variety – the range of media, techniques, and approaches you’ve explored.
- Technical competence – how well you’ve developed skills across your chosen mediums.
- Conceptual depth – the ideas, themes, and cultural influences behind the work.
- Curatorial rationale – how clearly you explain your choices in writing.
Keeping these in mind ensures that every artwork serves a purpose.
Tips for Choosing Your Artworks
1. Align with a Central Theme
Your exhibition should feel cohesive, not like a random collection of experiments. Ask yourself what message or theme ties your artworks together — it could be identity, technology, culture, memory, or nature. Each chosen piece should connect back to that theme.
2. Show Variety in Media and Approaches
Examiners want to see exploration. For example:
- Painting alongside photography
- Mixed media with digital design
- Sculptural work paired with drawings
Variety doesn’t mean being scattered — instead, think of it as different voices in the same conversation.
3. Demonstrate Growth
The exhibition is the culmination of your IB journey. Including early experimental pieces can work if they show clear evolution. Choose works that illustrate how you’ve refined your technique, broadened your ideas, and taken risks.
4. Think About Display and Space
Not every great artwork fits the exhibition space. Consider:
- Size and balance between large and small works
- Whether a piece needs special lighting or setup
- The visual flow from one artwork to the next
Remember: the exhibition is also about curation, not just individual pieces.
5. Connect to Your Research
Examiners look for evidence that you’ve studied other artists and cultural influences. Choose works where these inspirations are clear — whether through technique, style, or concept.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Including everything you’ve made: Less is more. Curate with intention.
- Choosing only “pretty” artworks: Concept matters just as much as aesthetics.
- Ignoring weaker but meaningful pieces: Sometimes a flawed piece shows growth or courage.
- Forgetting examiner perspective: Always tie your choices back to the rubric.
Example Strategy for Selection
Imagine your theme is “Memory and Identity.” You might select:
- A large oil painting reflecting personal heritage
- A series of black-and-white photographs exploring nostalgia
- A mixed-media sculpture incorporating found objects
- A digital collage influenced by contemporary artists
Together, these create a balanced, thematic, and diverse exhibition.
FAQs About Choosing Artworks
Q1: How many artworks should I include in my IB Visual Arts exhibition?
The number varies depending on HL or SL, but most students present between 8–11 works (SL) and 11–15 works (HL). Quality matters more than quantity — focus on curating a body of work that feels strong and cohesive.
Q2: Should I include unfinished or experimental pieces?
If they clearly demonstrate growth, experimentation, or a risk that connects to your theme, then yes — but present them thoughtfully. Explain their relevance in your curatorial rationale.
Q3: How do I know if my exhibition has enough variety?
Ask yourself if you’ve explored different media, scale, and approaches while still connecting to your central theme. Peer or teacher feedback is valuable here.
Q4: Do I have to frame or professionally mount every artwork?
Presentation matters, but it doesn’t need to be expensive. Clean, neat, and intentional display is more important than professional framing.
Q5: What if my theme changes during the IB course?
That’s normal. Many students refine or shift themes as they grow. Focus on curating works that best reflect your final direction, even if earlier pieces differ.
Conclusion
Choosing artworks for your IB Visual Arts exhibition is about balance — showing variety, depth, growth, and coherence. Every piece should serve your theme, highlight your technical and creative journey, and make examiners understand your unique artistic voice. Curate with purpose, reflect in your rationale, and you’ll be on track for a strong exhibition.
