Explain the "cooperative" gallery to me

[GrantCee]

I'm familiar with a "regular" or "traditional" gallery, where (subject to acceptance by the gallerist and/or his/her jury) they show your work, taking a percentage of the sale as their commission.

The "cooperative" gallery, though, is new to me. How do they work? Is the artist expected to make a financial investment in the gallery's operation, or are they also funded from sales as a regular gallery is? Are profits shared?

For those who have been shown in both, do you prefer one to the other?

 

[GrantCee]

(And how is this different than a collective?)

 

[Artyczar]

It's not much different than a collective except that the cooperative has some kind of investment in the actual space, so the fees may be higher. In a collective, the venue usually changes. In both, the commission (profits) should be much less than a tradition gallery unless the cooperative has a prestigious space in the gallery scene, but even then, it still should never be a full 50%.