The Present is Hybrid
As we enter the second summer of the pandemic, it seems the present is hybrid: some things have returned to in-person and others virtual, and the art world is no different. Below, I share anecdotes for examples of both models as it relates to recent news in the global art market culminating in an exciting project coming out of Israel.
In London, Hayward Gallery's Ralph Rugoff, described people at the gallery's first in-person opening (of Igshaan Adam’s intricate textiles) as "so delighted and enlivened by what they were seeing. I really do feel like art is our spiritual oxygen." This quote (from a recent interview with the Art Newspaper) resonated with me as I too feel reenergized each time I experience great art in person, whether at Superblue or at recent visits at collectors homes.
Emphasizing how in-person interactions are indispensable, dealer Meg Maggio of Pekin Fine Art, said that "with all these emerging artists and new collectors, there's a lot of conversations that are more enjoyable face to face. I don't think everything is going to move online. I think this is very much a people to people business." [ArtTactic]
To complement the in-person art happenings, online sales (in both galleries and auctions) continue to be robust. Artsy (one of the leading e-commerce sites) released a report last week which examines online buying habits of collectors, which found that the online art market has doubled in value last year, making up over 25% of the market in 2020.
Finally, following the tragic Surfside Collapse which has devastated our local community (as well as myself, personally) Showfield's head curator Tam Gryn, organized an online fundraiser of contemporary art which benefits the families of Surfside, noting that art has the ability to “bring hope into a world of chaos.”
It seems evident that there is a framework for both in-person and digital experiences to exist symbiotically. In fact, one of the most exciting things I read in the last few weeks was the announcement about Seeing the Invisible, a project to launch in September, organized by the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. The multi-site exhibition will feature works in AR (Augmented Reality) by a range of artists such as El Anatsui (with whom I worked with while at Stanford) and Sarah Meyohas in 12 locations around the world including Denver and San Diego; this project is a celebration of in-person art experiences which harness the possibilities of the latest in technology.
In my advisory, the hybrid model has been an apt approach for this moment. Some collectors have been purchasing art viewed exclusively in high-res JPGS and doing online studio visits with artists while others opt for field trips to galleries and face-to-face walkthroughs.
One thing is certain, the art world is bursting with exciting work by emerging and established artists alike.