Findings

Within the visual arts ecosystem, work is largely rendered invisible and is either unpaid or paid well below any reasonable standard. According to the Socio-economic Profile of Visual Arts Workers published in 2025 by the Observatoire des Politiques Culturelles, more than half of them live on less than €1,000 per month from all income sources combined in the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. This situation mainly affects visual artists, independent curators, and critics.

The issue of irregular income in the cultural sector is partially addressed by the system known as the “arts worker status.” However, due to the lack of remuneration proportional to the work involved in publicly presenting their work, visual artists only very rarely gain access to this status (less than 10% of beneficiaries in 2022).

LaFAP calls for the implementation of a remuneration scale for exhibitions, benefiting visual artists and independent curators, as well as for the production of written work and public interventions. This scale should be mandatory in all venues subsidized by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (FWB), whenever the host institution employs at least one staff member.

Principle

This remuneration scale enables professionals — or those in the process of professionalization, meaning individuals who dedicate most of their time to their practice — to receive compensation proportional to their work and sufficient, upon the public presentation of that work, to qualify for the “arts worker status,” corresponding to a gross amount of approximately €12,000 (index-linked) over the 24 months preceding the application.

An artist, for example, who participates in three public exhibitions within 24 months demonstrates consistent and high-quality work whose results are publicly shared. In return, they should receive remuneration that can be used toward obtaining the “arts worker status.”

The Calculator is inspired by several mechanisms developed in other countries and differs from the Flemish calculator in its method of valuing exhibition rights. Since 2026, it has been complemented by The Bill, an advocacy tool designed by Amélie Berrodier in collaboration with laFAP, which makes visible the loss of income borne by artists and curators when participating in exhibitions or events.

General pay scale for the visual arts

Faced with the precariousness of arts workers in the sector — more than 50% of artists and curators earn less than €1,000 net per month — laFAP has developed two tools. The Calculator generates quotes for appropriate remuneration, while The Bill, created in collaboration with artist Amélie Berrodier, highlights the shortfall between these amounts and the amounts actually offered. Using these tools and sharing the calculated amounts help make the sector's actual needs more tangible. This approach sheds light on how necessary and justified its refinancing is. Goal: to make individual income losses visible towards sustainable improvements for the sector as a whole!

Structure

The Calculator is is divided into three distinct sections:

• Exhibition rights remuneration, consisting of a flat-rate payment for the public presentation of artworks, based on the model of copyright remuneration.
• Work remuneration, calculated according to the number of days dedicated to the project, based on a gross daily rate (excluding VAT).
• Expenses separate from remuneration, covering production costs, artwork transportation and travel expenses, which are separate from remuneration.

The Bill follows the same structure. Its form allows users to enter the flat-rate or itemised amounts offered by the organising institution for each of these three sections. The loss of income is calculated as the difference between the total amount generated by The Calculator and the total amount entered into The Bill.

Exhibition Rights Fee

Exhibition rights constitute copyright-related income and are treated, under Belgian law, as communication rights (Article XI.165, §1, paragraph 4 of the Belgian Code of Economic Law). They entitle artists to claim a flat-rate fee when their work is publicly presented by a third party.

The exhibition rights fee is calculated according to:
 

• the size of the exhibition venue, using several brackets ranging from more than 10 m² to more than 200 m²;
• the number of participating artists;
• the percentage of new works produced specifically for the exhibition;
• the duration of the exhibition.

This flat-rate fee compensates artists for their creative work, which is difficult—if not impossible—to quantify, including the research and production carried out outside the exhibitions or events in which they participate, yet essential to the realisation of the project. It applies whenever an artwork is publicly presented, regardless of whether additional work is required for that presentation.

N.B. If invoiced as copyright income, the exhibition fee does not constitute a salary and does not generate social security entitlements. It does not provide access to unemployment benefits or to the Arts Work Allowance associated with them. However, it can be used to obtain or renew the Arts Work Certificate.

Work Remuneration

Work remuneration is calculated on the basis of a gross daily rate (€), excluding VAT. It takes into account the time devoted to project development, administration and coordination, writing texts, communication, installation and dismantling, attendance at the opening and press conference, public programmes and mediation activities, as well as any other work necessary for the successful delivery of the project.

Every collaboration should be governed by an employment contract based on an estimated number of working hours corresponding to no less than one working day. Project development should not be confused with the creation of the artworks themselves. Rather, it refers to the work undertaken by the artist or curator to ensure the public presentation of the artworks: liaising with the venue and participants, attending meetings, selecting and packing artworks, participating in public events, installing and deinstalling exhibitions, and related tasks.

Curators automatically receive a minimum remuneration equivalent to half a working day per participating artist. They should then add any additional working days required for the conception and preparation of the project. Time devoted to writing the curatorial project may be remunerated as copyright-related work.

Thirty percent of the writing work may be remunerated through the transfer of copyright.

Whenever the presence of the artist or curator is required (opening, press conference, mediation activity, performance, lecture, etc.), they should be remunerated for at least half a working day, or more where preparation time justifies it.

The use of images and texts must, in all cases, be covered by a copyright transfer agreement. For further information, please refer to SOFAM.

N.B. Exhibition rights fees and work remuneration should both be governed by a contractual agreement between the employer and the arts worker.

Expenses separate from remuneration

Expenses separate from remuneration include costs incurred for production, travel, accommodation, per diems and artwork transportation. These expenses should be covered by the cultural organisation inviting the artist.

Curators may also incur professional expenses related to their role, such as research trips, the purchase of documentation, and similar costs.

Workers status

There are three of workers status in Belgium: 

• Employed;
• Self-employed;
• Civil servant.

The term "art workers status" is therefore not a fourth status, but rather a common term used to refer to special rules in terms of unemployment rules that recognises and protects artists in the exercise of their creative profession by guaranteeing them continuity of income. The workers in the arts sector can operate under the first two status.

Being self-employed

A self-employed artist is an artist who carries out their professional artistic activity under the status of a self-employed worker. In other words, the artist carries out their professional activity on his or her own account and without being bound by an employment contract or civil servant status. They are paid when they address an invoice to their customers. They must: 

• join a social office and pay social security contributions (min. €750/quarter regardless of your income. A deduction is possible for the first few quarters);
• register for VAT and file quarterly returns (unless you have an exemption);
• apply for a company number (BCE > link) ;
• open a "business" bank account, from which to pay all your business expenses and receive payments;
• prove your basic management skills.

NB. Self-employed workers cannot receive compensation or any other substitute income if they are unemployed.

Complementary self-employed status

A complementary self-employed person carries out his professional activities under two distinct statues:

• employee / civil servant on the one hand ;
• complementary self-employed on the other.

This second activity, as its name suggests, is complementary to the first (main activity as an employee or civil servant). The salaried activity must be carried out at least half-time (19 hours a week) and they must:

• join a social office and pay social security contributions every 3 months (min. €70 / quarter regardless of income);
• be register for VAT and file quarterly returns (unless you have an exemption scheme);
• apply for a company number;
• open a business bank account.

As an exception to the principle set out above, artists receiving unemployment benefit may carry out their artistic activity under the status of complementary self-employed person, but:

• they must inform the ONEM of this activity using the "C1 Artist" form;
• the amount of unemployment benefit will not be affected by the additional self-employed activity as long as the income from this activity does not exceed €10217.30 net / year (indexable);

NB. Those incomes will not be taken into account to obtain or maintain Art Workers Status.

Being an employee

Salaried artists carry out their professional (artistic) activity under an employment contract, which means:
 

• a relationship of subordination with an employer;
• a remuneration that depends on the time worked and the Joint Commission. 

NB. In Belgium, the basic full-time corresponds to 7.6 hours a day or 38 hours a week.

How To Get Paid?

Billing for services

When the remuneration is the consideration for a service provided in a self-employed capacity on a principal or complementary basis. 

Calculation: 
Gross income
– actual expenses or flat-rate professional expenses
– average tax rate determined on the basis of other taxable professional income (e.g. salary, profits, etc.)
= net income

Work contracts

When the remuneration is for a salaried work under an employment contract.

Calculation:
Gross income
– employer's contributions (between 23% and 25%)
– employee contributions (13.07%)
– actual or flat-rate business expenses
– tax (rate varies according to other income, personal situation and residence)
= net income

1st BIS contrat

When the remuneration is the consideration for an artistic service provided under a commission and outside the scope of an employment contract. The same deductions apply as for an employment contract plus the commission from the Bureau Social for Artists (BSA). To enter into this type of contract, it is necessary to obtain the Art Workers Attestation beforehand.

Calculation:
Gross income
– Employers' contributions (between 23 and 25%)
– Employee contributions (13.07%)
– BSA commission 
– Actual or flat-rate business expenses tax (rate varies depending on other income, personal situation and residence)
= net income

Copyright licence agreement 

When the remuneration is the consideration for an authorisation to use a work.

Calculation:
Gross income
– Statutory fixed expenses (50%) or actual expenses
– Withholding tax (15%)
= net income

Occasional Service Note

When the remuneration is for a service provided on an exceptional basis, outside the professional activities and up to €5,000 per year.

Occasional services include, for example, people who have another professional activity as their main occupation or who are creating something for the first time. For example, a lawyer who decides to write a novel, even if it is a huge success, or a comic strip artist who writes a film script or makes a documentary.

The resulting income is considered to be miscellaneous income from occasional services.

NB: if you receive miscellaneous income, you do not need a company number, are not liable for VAT and do not have self-employed status.

Calculation:
Gross income
– actual expenses
– 33% (flat-rate tax)
= net income

Fédération des Arts Plastiques asbl 

C/o Maxima
Rue du Monténégro 144
1190 Forest BELGIQUE
N° entreprise:  0750590453
 

L'Addition is a tool designed by Amélie Berrodier in collaboration with laFAP.
Design and development: Luuse
Development of L'Addition: Aymen

Font: Venus Acier Light & Baskevol Regular (Bye Bye Binary)

With the support of