ABSTRACT
This chapter examines what to think when weighing up whether to review a work of art, right through until your fingers reach for the keyboard. The depth and direction of that preparation will depend on a number of factors, from the profile of the readership and the motivation driving the review in the first place, to very practical considerations like the deadline and – if it is a live performance – the time of the last train home. Art and museum exhibitions allow critics to prepare and research for their reviews in two clear ways. A launch event will be organised a long time in advance of the exhibition opening – it could be months ahead – and its purpose is to stimulate interest in the media and create news stories or features for journalists and critics.
