Daniel Birnbaum, as seen in the previous post is a well known curator and was a speaker at TEDGlobal in 2009. Birnbaums talk was very influential on the future of the art world and who is powering it. He makes an interesting statement about the previous art audience. People still associate the bohemian lifestyles with artists but it that is not necessarily true for the artists audience. Art acquisition has become a cultural phenomena. People spend money at auctions on prominent pieces because they can and feel as if it elevates them in the social realm. The art world is moving global with powerhouses in Europe, the United States and China. There are millions of dollars being spent on art because it has become apart of our lifestyle. The record for an auction house sold piece of work is Alberto Giacometti's L'homme Que Marche 1 which sold for $103.7 million in 2010.

It is also not always correct to think that there are only two types of people in the art world - the poor artist and the wealthy collector. There is the middle person, the admirer. There are many large scale festivals that are taking place all of the world and Birnbaum references to the biennales, specifically the Venice Biennale which he is most known for curating. Birnbaum also notes that people are coming from all over the world to not only participate in the festival but also appreciate the pieces. People are beginning to become more comfortable with art and appreciate it more, even if they don't have an art background.



Reference:
http://blog.ted.com/2009/07/24/daniel_birnbaum/

It's Not Just in Europe

This is a very interesting interview with Swedish philosopher, Daniel Birnbaum, and his view on the global impact of art.

It is interesting to note that art is just not in Europe or New York City as we have thought for many years. There is speculation that India might be the next location for the "art boom" as China has currently taken the lead. Artists don't have to be in one of these major cultural centers to be successful. The idea is that artists can make art anywhere and it can be a hit with groups of people all over the world.

China's Impact in the Art Market

As many people know, Sotheby's is one of the world's largest and well known auction houses. As I have previously stated in other posts, another facet of globalization and the arts is the art market itself. For many years, the focal point of the art market has been in the United States and Europe. However, this "point" is gravitating more so towards China.

I found this remarkable video that really puts this movement into perspective. William Ruprecht, president and CEO of Sotheby's, stated that in 2007 only four percent of their annual transactions were from China. In four years, that percentage has increased to 35 percent. There has never been an increase this large in the history of Sotheby's. These numbers are making China the world's largest art market with "over 4 billion dollars worth of Chinese paintings that have been sold in Beijing," states Ruprecht. Ruprechet also mentions a "duopoly." This is an economic model in which there are two producers in a market, in this case Sotheby's and Christie's. It is interesting because now, three of the worlds major art auction houses are located in China rather than the US and Europe. The growth and movement can be understood through globalization in general and the role that China has played in all aspects of globalization. China is one of the most powerful countries in the world where there are people who have millions in disposable income that can be spent in the art market.

Reference:
"The Rise of China in the Art Market: An excerpt from a conversation between William Ruprecht, president and CEO of Sotheby's and Yale SOM Dean Edward A. Snyder." Video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzD13uZatpo

How Globalization Affects the Artist

As we think about globalization in art, we must take into account how it affects the artist as an individual. In order for the arts to progress or for movements to evolve, there have to be artists to push the industry in that direction. A way to look at how globalization is affecting the artist, is to look at the anthropology of the people and influences of the artist themselves. Some examples would be photographers who captured the lives of people in Afghanistan post-9/11 and in the gulf after the devastation caused by the earthquakes in Haiti. There is a virtual gallery through the New Yorker that collectively looks at art created by Haitians after the earthquake and their response to their situation leading up to their presidential elections.

Globalization in art can really be examined through a cultural lens. A lot of artists do take an anthropological view on their pieces of work. We can use art to understand how another culture works and find a connection to them. I remember a show that I saw in Copenhagen, Denmark three years ago at the Lousiana Museum of Art and the artist captured the life of lower class individuals in the southern region of America. Being a southern native, it was interesting to see that I was in another hemisphere and an artist was capturing the daily lives of those people from near where I grew up. This is globalization because we are sharing different cultures with people all over the world.

References:

Globalization and the Artist, Duke University Center for International Studies
http://ducis.jhfc.duke.edu/arts/gata/

"Art After the Quake" The New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/online/2010/09/06/haiti_art_20100906#slide=15