Working models: Developing new gallery structures
Mid-size and small galleries are facing well-publicized challenges. In this talk, five young gallerists debate new models and approaches
The challenges facing mid-size galleries have dominated industry headlines for months. There’s a strong feeling among art professionals that the traditional way of doing business has become unsustainable for too many. The bricks-and-mortar gallery model is under an unprecedented level of scrutiny, and the global proliferation of events increasingly stands accused of suffocating the art it is meant to support.
These complex dynamics offer a formidable opportunity for change. A new generation of gallerists have taken things into their own hands, challenging traditional ideas of how a gallery ‘should’ operate. From Condo, a large-scale collaborative exhibition taking place in London, New York, Mexico City, São Paulo and Shanghai, to pop-ups, cryptocurrency, and exhibition formats, young gallerists talk challenges, opportunities, and practices in a shifting world. Why current digital platforms don’t work for galleries, the relationships between established and younger galleries, artist and gallery contracts, and collaborations across continents are just a few of the issues explored.
Participants:
Vanessa Carlos, Founder, Carlos/Ishikawa, London; Hormoz Hematian, Founder, Dastan’s Basement, Tehran; Mimi Chun, Founder and Director, Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong; Young Chung, Founder, Commonwealth and Council, Los Angeles
Moderated by Isa Lorenzo, Founder, Silverlens Galleries, Manila
The panel discussion took place during Art Basel in Hong Kong in March 2018