Claudio Poleschi on Art Share, lockdown strategies, and San Marino's art market

In an interview with Artribune, gallerist Claudio Poleschi discusses the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on his gallery in San Marino and his online platform Art Share. While many galleries rushed to create virtual viewing rooms, Poleschi and artist Gian Marco Montesano launched 'Gatta ci cova', a project where Montesano paints collectors with their cats, emphasizing traditional artist-collector relationships. Art Share, a fractional ownership platform co-founded with Maurizio Fontanini, has sold over 5,500 shares worth €600,000 since January 2020, with two whole works resold at profits exceeding 50%. Poleschi notes that the platform was already online before the crisis, giving it an advantage. He expects the art market to shift further online, with online transactions already doubling from 8% of global sales last year. However, he believes art is best experienced in person and expects a return to physical galleries post-pandemic. Poleschi criticizes the Italian government for insufficient support for the arts, suggesting tax breaks for collectors and public acquisitions. He praises San Marino's business-friendly environment, including no VAT and low taxes for Art Share. He is skeptical about virtual fairs, calling them a 'cooled-down version' of real markets, but acknowledges their necessity. The interview also covers plans to support young artists through Art Share and international expansion, with mentions of coverage on Artnet.