Artists turn to bartering on social media amid cost of living crisis

Artists worldwide are using Instagram and TikTok to offer their work in exchange for goods and services instead of money, citing anti-capitalist motives and economic hardship. The trend involves posting lists of acceptable trades—handmade clothes, jewelry, tattoos, accommodation, meals, or simply asking for offers. Lin Snow, an artist in Maine, US, says it reflects late-stage capitalism and a desire for community. Oli Fowler, a screenprinter in Hertfordshire, England, traded a £2,000 painting for 30 solid oak frames from a master furniture builder, which helped him secure an exhibition at London's IIF Gallery. Paris-based painter Andrea Mongenie has exchanged works for video editing, a book package for her son, and is negotiating for website help and accommodation in Lisbon, Austria, and near Copenhagen. The practice echoes the #artistsupportpledge movement from Covid, where artists sold works under £200 and pledged to buy from others. Art market expert Melanie Gerlis of The Art Newspaper notes bartering is an alternative exchange mechanism that helps artists create value in a system where peak capitalism fails most professionals.