WHAT HAPPENED

Yoram Roth from Fotografiska asked me If I was coming to Paris Photo - and while the honest answer was “no” at the time I said “yes”. And so I did.

When at Paris Photo I realised that the Idea that every square meter of exhibition space is a) extremely expensive b) limited in time c) exclusive to a small group of collectors and art buyers - seemed absurd to me. Photographic art is already suffering an under-appreciation in the art world as photographs are easily replicable. Contrary to paintings there is not “one original print”. Maybe a first, but by definition not a single original. Limited editions have to be created to justify high-prices and therefore help the galleries and artists to survive. Yet, photography is in its nature democratic and accessible.

I found myself in a busy place where a democratic medium was celebrated in exclusivity, while the art elite was heavily instagram-ing their Paris Photo visit. Instagram of all places, the technology platform that has democratised photography to the masses, offering everyone a split second of exposure for tiny thumbnail of their photography rushing into the endless scrolling abyss - if they gather enough “engagement” in the form of likes, comments and hashtags.
Essentially the greasy fast food knock-off version of any affordable art fair.

I hope you see the multiple disconnects here.

Visitors in front of Confrontation I at Bruce Silverstein Gallery, Paris Photo 2019

TECHNOLOGY WILL SAVE US.

If technology was the driving force for an exclusive setting, I decided to go for the bleeding edge of that sword.
So, I pulled out Project Aero, an at the time early access software for Augmented Reality (AR) Authoring in physical space.
And while the idea was born in seconds it took only minutes to start “hanging” my own art pieces onto the walls of famous galleries.
I was exhibiting next to some of my photographic heroes, yet more importantly on the art galleries premium “wall-space” and publishing it to their global audiences via Instagram stories. Hijacking their physical space to provide an art screening to my personal audience of fans, collectors and friends - and shared as a link to everyone who wanted to see my artworks on their walls, too.

(Exclusivity was ensured due to my minuscule following on and personal interest in - social media self-promotion)

Most puzzlingly some of the galleries responded and my audience congratulated me on my big breakthrough success, exhibiting at Flowers Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, Bruce Silverstein Gallery, the JP Morgan Collection at the same time. Perception is apparently reality. Even if it is augmented reality.

We ended up coming full circle, rendering exclusive exhibition space worthless, making it accessible to the world, blowing past any gatekeepers while piggybacking on their reputation, yet preserving the artificial limitations on photographic art, as no-one really owned any of my art pieces on any physical wall. Just as most pieces exhibited at Paris Photo - just for different reasons.

LINKS:

BRUCE SILVERSTEIN GALLERY:

@brucesylverstein / http://www.brucesilverstein.com/

HAUSER & WIRTH GALLERY:

@hauserwirth / https://www.hauserwirth.com/

FLOWERS GALLERY:

@flowersgallery / https://www.flowersgallery.com/

JPMORGAN CHASE ART COLLECTION:

@JPmorgan / https://institute.jpmorganchase.com/about/art-collection

ARt-Gallery Hijack