Artistic Practice Reorients Toward Business and Technology in New Models of Engagement
The dynamics between contemporary art and business have evolved from a critical stance to a more collaborative approach. Initiatives such as the Artist Placement Group in Britain and György Kepes's Center for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT during the 1960s and 70s exemplify this shift. In March 2020, Ben Vickers, leading the Serpentine Galleries' Research & Development Platform, released a report titled 'Future Art Ecosystems' in partnership with the Berggruen Institute, established by Nicolas Berggruen. Meanwhile, Diakron's Primer in Copenhagen, co-founded by Aslak Aamot Kjaerulff, emphasizes ecological issues without financial connections. Additionally, Berlin's Nemesis, launched in 2017 by Emily Segal and Martti Kalliala, collaborates with brands such as Buffy. K-HOLE, a trend-forecasting agency, analyzed art’s transactional aspects in the April 2020 issue of ArtReview.
Key facts
- The Serpentine Galleries' Research & Development Platform published a report on 'Future Art Ecosystems' in March 2020.
- Artist Placement Group in Britain inserted artists into government and business during the 1960s and 70s.
- György Kepes promoted 'art on a civic scale' at the Center for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT.
- Primer, run by Diakron, operates inside Aquaporin's biotech headquarters in Copenhagen without financial ties.
- Nemesis, founded in Berlin in 2017 by Emily Segal and Martti Kalliala, consults for brands like Buffy.
- K-HOLE, a trend-forecasting agency, was formed by four art-school friends in New York and presented at Frieze Art Fair and the World Economic Forum.
- Victoria Ivanova and Armen Avanessian called for 'institutional realism' in 2017 to explore institutional gaps.
- Ben Vickers serves as chief technology officer at the Serpentine Galleries' Research & Development Platform.
Entities
Artists
- György Kepes
- Jack Burnham
- Goldin+Senneby
- Dena Yago
- Victoria Ivanova
- Armen Avanessian
- Ben Vickers
- Nicolas Berggruen
- Suhail Malik
- Yana Peel
- Stephen Peel
- Aslak Aamot Kjaerulff
- Emily Segal
- Martti Kalliala
- Gary Zhexi Zhang
- Elvia Wilk
Institutions
- Artist Placement Group
- Center for Advanced Visual Studies
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- DIS
- Berlin Biennale
- K-HOLE
- Frieze Art Fair
- World Economic Forum
- e-flux journal
- Bureau for Cultural Strategies
- Serpentine Galleries
- Research & Development Platform
- Rival Strategy
- Berggruen Institute
- Aquaporin
- Diakron
- Primer
- Ethereum Foundation
- Nemesis
- Buffy
- Amnesia Scanner
- Foreign Objects LLC
- NEW INC
- New Museum
- N3plus
- ArtReview
Locations
- Britain
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- Massachusetts
- United States
- New York
- London
- United Kingdom
- California
- Copenhagen
- Denmark
- Berlin
- Germany