2014 | WHAT DO ARTISTS WANT FROM THEIR GALLERIES?

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• published: 14 Oct 2014
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The ecology of the global art world is changing. Auction houses have moved deep into the primary market. Art fairs have exploded. Social media and the web have become platforms for serious promotion, editorial and sales. The art market has expanded vastly, leading to an economic bifurcation that weirdly mirrors the outlook of nations with shrinking middle classes. Like with all seismic changes, there are winners and losers that result from these transformations. Some of the ensuing fallout has become the stuff of important journalism, online discussions, and distinguished symposia—like that taking place at “Talking Galleries.” Yet few illuminating discussions have occurred which ask questions of the art world’s most essential players: “What do artists want from their galleries?” This discussion will focus on how artists believe galleries should confront the current challenges of a changing art world. Do artists need galleries anymore? Should galleries increase or decrease their participation in art fairs? Is traditional gallery representation the best path to establishing an advantageous relationship with a gallery? Is there a counterintuitive, non-market oriented aspect of gallery-making not currently being considered by galleries as a response to a changing ecology? Can the evolving playbook of socially engaged art help revitalize a stagnant gallery model? These questions and more will form the crux of this conversation, which will finally attempt to propose a few prescriptive ideas for artists and galleries looking to adapt to a rapidly changing economic and creative environment. Panel Discussion Moderator: Christian Viveros-Fauné, art critic and curator, ArtReview magazine, The Village Voice, New York. Speakers: Jordi Colomer, artist, Barcelona. Rainer Ganahl, artist. Edward Winkleman, co-founder, Moving Image art fair, author of How to Start and Run a Commercial Art Gallery (2009), New York.