/ Art Forum
Has the epidemic made the art industry crazy?
—— Let’s view the perspective of the art industry regarding epidemic and art ecology.
《Cans Contemporary Art News》Editor in Chief Nai-Ming Zheng together with independent curator Emerson Wang to discuss the future trends of the art industry from a third-party perspective. They discuss the changes in the global art market from the past two years under the epidemic, and explain the major influence and phenomena of art museums, young generation artists and collectors in the Asian market. They share how they overcame the tough times under the epidemic, "change does not stop", while seeing many new goals, don't forget the essence of art works.
"Perspective One: Data"
CANS Editor in Chief Nai-Ming Zheng provided examples on two popular art exhibitions in Taiwan, "Nara Yoshitomo Special Exhibition" and "Shota Chiharu: Vibrating Soul", both exhibitions set a new record on the number of visitors to visit the museum. He also set a few major points as the direction of discussion, from the beginning of May 2021, before the closure of Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts from the epidemic, "Nara Yoshitomo Special Exhibition" had nearly 50,000 people visiting the exhibition. Nearly 150,000 visitors are visiting Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts. Nearly 40,000 people visited the Tainan Art Museum, with a total of 240,000 visitors.The 170-days special exhibition "Shota Chiharu: Vibrating Soul" attracted 150,000 visitors at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. The exhibition also faced a 50-days of closing day, but the popularity still remained high.
"Discussion on the Feelings under the Epidemic“
Does the record-breaking visitor flow of well-known international art exhibitions actually help Taiwanese aesthetics in art ? Is it a revenge-style travel phenomenon or just following the fashion trend? On the other hand, if there is no impact of the epidemic, can such data and flow of high record be created? During the epidemic, exhibitions faced high demand for digital transformation. Online promotion and the planning of the exhibition site are different from the past, the creative focus has become the top priority of the exhibition.
Independent curator Emerson Wang pointed out that in addition to the actual impact of the epidemic, it also includes high fluctuations in mood. He now has the time to rethink and observe from the past, re-adjust his attitudes and thinking patterns. During the curatorial process during the epidemic, he will first think about the needs of the artist and the expected goals of the exhibition, then he will learn to change the way on how to create a better experience with digital exhibitions.
”The Generational Change of Artists and Collectors“
Independent curator Emerson Wang proposed the British research on the impact of COVID-19 on the arts, he discussed the changes brought by the global art market during the epidemic.The world seems to be at a standstill, but in fact, the art market is advancing at a high speed through the Internet. At the same time, there is no turning back for the development of digital technology from the global. Digital artwork and NFT has also become the new focus of the generation.
CANS Editor in Chief Nai-Ming Zheng believed that the main factor influencing the growth of young buyers and artists is online marketing, moreover, in the past, Taiwanese spending about 80 billion Taiwan dollars overseas, into the domestic market, it also accelerated the sales of artworks. According to the information provided by Christie's auction house, it sold a total of 100 NFT works in 2021, with a total of 150 million US dollars. Among them, 70% of collectors have an average age of 42 years old, and most of them are working with auction houses for the first time. The total sales of NFT account for 8% of the total auction house's revenue, which makes the art industry have to pay close attention to the power of new types of art, which is NFT.
In addition, the noteworthy part of the Asian art market includes young artists in the 70s & 80s rushing to the auction house. Similarly, young Asia art collectors are on the rise, with an average age less than 40 years old, and their spending power accounts for ⅓ of the overall sales market. For example, Justin Sun, the founder of crypto currency TRON, spent more than 78 million US dollars to purchase art, which awed the art industry. Influenced by US relations, China is now aware of nations trends, and now Chinese collectors have begun to acquire works from local artists. Similarly, the local Chinese artists are now spreading outward from China as the main core, and they can foresee the future volatility in the art market.
NFT and Metaverse are actually a new concept, but the term "Ownership" has existed long ago. Independent curator Emerson Wang points out that the online world has caused a change in the art industry, the essence of the art market reminded the same. We should focus on accepting a more resilient future. For example, when the epidemic hits, the organizers are thinking on not canceling the exhibition but focus on how to change the form of the exhibition. Every exhibition must be prepared and ready for any kind of dynamic change.
At the end of the art forum, Independent curator Emerson Wang and Editor in Chief Nai-Ming Zheng both agreed that no matter which generation of artist, they should build their brand based on digital marketing. The most important thing is to return to the original intention and stand in front of the physical artwork to view and feel the essence of the artist and the work.
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