The Intersection of the Commercial and Civic Arts in Creating impactful Curatorial Strategies

Reflections from a Conference and Lessons for ODBK

by Mark Barrett

In February, I attended an interesting conference at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London called “Curating and the Art Market,” in my capacity as the London and UK Representative for ODBK. I went with the hope of developing new partnerships and collaborations between ODBK and the art world in London and to raise our organisational profile, given it is a city with a very rich art market. I achieved my goal and met many interesting delegates and speakers who we are now exploring collaborations with. But more than that, I came away truly inspired by the theme of the conference and how each session responded through different perspectives. What follows are my reflections of the conference sessions and papers and take-aways for ODBK to capitalise on. 

When I was asked to write about my experience at the conference, I saw a greater opportunity to widen the subject of the article of what I learnt at the conference and to discuss how it aligned with the vision of ODBK. Namely regarding the theme of the conference. There is a huge intersection between curators and dealers: displaying art for the public and collecting art privately. Two seemingly very different relationships with art are more intertwined than is often assumed.

That assumption being that these two groups of people behind art and their relationship with art have contested interests. However, both in history and contemporary practice today has shown that these two worlds – “The Curating” (for the public) and “The Art Market” (for the private) – come together to form both fruitful and dynamic partnerships. The conference and the speakers quickly demonstrated that these very two worlds that many think contrast, actually harmonize. Each session had speakers discussing both historical and contemporary case studies of this harmonic relationship in equal measure, presenting papers on historical research and curating practice alike, each through various perspectives.

Specific topics from speakers involved Curatorial Strategies from the point of view of an institutional collector; case studies include Bode’s forward thinking exhibitions in which he took on the role as a Curator from an Art Dealers perspective. Swiftly followed were Curators from the V&A museum talking through the process of creating the latest blockbuster exhibition: Cartier [Cartier – Exhibition at V&A South Kensington · V&A]. Listening as delegates, the comparisons in the practises of both case studies interlocked so perfectly that it became satisfying to watch. The two case studies both show a strong juxtaposition between commercial and institutional curatorial practices with the results bearing the fruits of an effective and creative methodology within art institutions, whether it was in the history of art like Bode’s case or contemporary museum practice in the work of the V&A.

Similar case studies that continued to demonstrate this juxtaposition persisted and were all the more interesting. The topics were expanded into particular areas which made the conference theme multilayered and even more interesting. A session highlight was exploring this Curating/Art market synergy, still with case studies being art historical and contemporary practice alike side by side, was the session that explored the theme in a global context. Papers in this session included the facilitation and exchange of art and the artists and patrons involved in 17th Century Spain – between the Iberian Peninsula and of New Spain, The emerging art market coming out of India in the last century defining its identity as a recognised art market category post-colonialism, Curating chinese ink paintings in the 21st Century and its relation to chinese identity through worldwide collaboration, and finally the curatorial influences and art market definition of African diasporic collections, examining how curatorial strategies impact the evolving value systems as well as the broader implications for artists and the wider diaspora. Bringing these four case studies to the table in exploring the curating/art market juxtaposition, was important to show just how globalised this concept has been in history and in contemporary practise today. The curatorial strategies and art market dynamic are all the more successful in the global context and have been for years.

The inspiring and interesting speakers at the Curating and the Art Market conference, summarised as sufficient I could in this article, have much to teach us. To succeed in ODBKs vision of creating an “art world that is equitable, diverse, and inclusive, working to ensure a just distribution of wealth and opportunities among all artists and art communities,” amongst other things, is to create partnerships – both with individuals and institutions, especially those with a stake in the art world. At ODBK we want to see a bigger number of active participants in the decision making which defines the current and future art world through our various methodologies. Whether they be Curators, Dealers, Collectors or Artists, an art world that is more inclusive is one where we come together, with different backgrounds and relationships in the art world, but with a united belief that the art market can be so much better. 

Sotheby’s Conference was a culmination in the very best of the art market that showed that ODBK’s mission and its values have the potential to be more than just a dream. We’ve seen what happens when the art dealer/collector and the curator join forces. Academic papers showed that it has been happening in the history of art for many years, whether that’s 17th Century Spain or 19th Century Germany or other historic case studies that were explored. An Art world that embraces collaboration of individuals and institutions is much closer than we think and with that, can be nurtured an art world that embraces equality, diversity and inclusion based on these principles. 

ODBKs ultimate goal is to make the art world and the art market a more democratic place through EDI. Curatorial strategies that bring the respective expertise of Curators, Art Dealers and Artists together, merging commercial and institutional practices has been proven highly effective and productive. Could utilising this successful methodology with the mission and vision of ODBK as an anchor to drive it take us a step closer to the democratic and inclusive art world that is so needed? That is a question I leave  you as the reader with, along with what would this look like in practise?