A major shift is under way in SA art circles. It’s a boringly obvious observation that Covid-19 and global lockdowns have moved much of human society online, but this has affected the art market in interesting ways.
Traditionally the industry has depended on human interaction and events such as gallery openings, art fairs and auctions. But moving the whole shebang online has provided the means for emerging artists without established galleries to reach their audiences directly through social media channels. It has also opened up new ways of viewing and buying art, and opened up new markets — art from Africa in particular. It means a permanent change in the local art business, and a range of new opportunities for art world players who are ahead of the curve.
For emerging SA artists, social media in particular is a savvy marketing tool to reach audiences who are by default no longer hung up about buying art they haven’t seen in the flesh. Teresa Firmino has successfully exhibited her striking paintings and multimedia works locally, which deal with racialised and sexualised histories. She is about to have her first solo show in London. “I only post my work on Instagram, as many of my collectors and peers also use the same platform. Like everyone else, I had many group shows and art fairs online last year, so Instagram made sense.”
Platforms such as Instagram provide artists with the means to potentially bypass the established system of gallery representation, but artist and gallerist Luan Nel — who owns the eponymous Nel Gallery in Cape Town — doesn’t see this happening locally. “As a gallerist my attitude is to embrace the move online. It all adds up to helping the artist’s profile, and this in turn creates a market. I do feel it is in our favour to have a physical gallery, though. It is fine having an online presence, but psychologically, even the online buyers like the idea or reassurance of the gallery being an actual place, that is often activated.”
One huge impact of the shift to online markets is on art from the rest of Africa. Ijeoma Uche-Okeke, African art expert and daughter and custodian of the work of doyen of West African art Uche Okeke, sees this in a positive light: “Social media and the accessibility and reach it provides, has played a major role in disseminating and demystifying African contemporary art. The evolution of multiple contemporary art cultures have always existed in Africa and will continue to exist.”
One SA-based arts organisation is making the online platform a key part of opening up the African art market internationally. Latitudes Art Fair and Latitudes Online is a virtual marketplace created to provide a curated selection of artworks for collectors with an interest in art from Africa. Co-founded by renowned curator Lucy MacGarry, it has moved quickly in the online space. Launched only six months ago, Latitudes.Online has been viewed in 125 countries, has shipped artworks across the world, and with more than 500 artists from the continent represented on the site, it is well on its way to becoming the largest online platform for art from Africa.
Says MacGarry: “With the digital space becoming increasingly competitive, we are glad to have made a headstart within our local market. I now believe that the experience of online viewing can be just as powerful as on the wall of a gallery or museum. Online art viewing allows for greater dialogue, which encourages new and emerging collectors.
“For artists, online platforms can offer increased opportunities for exposure, selling and connecting with curators or galleries. Once the market fully recovers from the financial impact of the pandemic, our view is that online buying behaviour — from affordable to blue chip — will have been positively impacted. Such a shift within our industry has been a long time coming, and will hopefully lead to a wider array of opportunities for artists and greater agency for the collector.”
