ARTISTS IN SEARCH OF A MARKET - Open Art Aurum
Thursday, 22. May 2008, 19:36:00
NEW EVENT IN TAORMINA: ARTISTS IN SEARCH OF A MARKETAurum auction house and tèa art gallery present: <open art aurum> first appointment in Italy
An auction of contemporary art reserved exclusively for artists in search of a market.
Highlights:
Auction
Excelsior Palace Hotel
Via Toselli,8
June 7th, 2008
09:00 p.m
Exposition
tèa art gallery
Via Giovanni Di Giovanni, 36
June 4th,5th and 6th, 2008
10:00 a.m. - 09:00 p.m
At last a door has been opened to Artists in search of a market.
With the precious contribution of the "tèa" art gallery in Taormina, the ambition of our event, called <open art aurum> is to act as a forerunner in the complex world of contemporary art in Italy. In fact, in order to increase its popularity, we believe that promotion, based solely on exhibiting works and a careful analysis and criticism of them, as often happens, is not enough to guarantee the growth of an artist. This is achieved by organising events focused on selling, currently the monopoly of just a few operators in the sector. To put it bluntly, the artist also needs economic support. Our venture will give him a showcase for selling, an arena for exhibiting his works and a space for his own creativity. In this way he will not have to suffer judgements and selective preconceptions, which, on the other hand, remain the exclusive prerogative of the public, the only art critic that expresses its own consent by buying the work. . He will not have to face demanding investments at a time when he has not yet won visibility on the market. Helping an artist who is trying to make a name for himself is a duty, which all auction houses, galleries and dealers should absolve, without taking the doubtlessly easiest and most profitably path of sponsoring those who are already well-known. Dedicating oneself to discovering talents could bring rewards that are very different from economical ones – rewards we have inexorably lost sight of, in today's world, sacrificed to the logic of easy money. Seeking anonymous quality presupposes ability and intuition, which, even if they do not exist, can easily be replaced by costly marketing operations.
The image of talented artists, who fold up their easel and put away their tubes of paint, is the one we want to avoid. This is how we got the idea of involving quiet, elegant Taormina, the international showcase, seen and visited by thousands of people coming from all over the world, in an event without precedent in Italy. The just reward for dozens of artists coming from all over Italy and abroad.
Our contemporary art auctions, which we will continue, in the future, to reserve for artists in search of a market, are a serious and interesting proposal that favour the freedom of buyers to be able to select works from different styles, techniques and topics, but above all the freedom of artists to indicate the starting price of their works at auction. In fact, the auction house has had a marginal impact on this subjective and specific problem.
Freedom of decision, without the influence or mental lucubrations of invented "art critics", freedom from fees composed of multi-digit numbers and from positive criticisms dictated, only, by personal profits.
The price of a work of art, established by the artist himself, by his common sense, by his reasoning and also by his passion, can also be synonymous with the word "sacrifice", but it will not be a pointless sacrifice, but rather an investment in his future.
An appeal, that many will criticise and reduce to demagogy and qualunquismo, to art masters and teachers at Academies of Fine Arts, so that they also, with their extensive preparation, may support their pupils, not only by teaching the true basics of art, but also be directing them toward economic markets; the other side of the coin. We have heard many stories of artists who, in their contemporarity, were considered mediocre and who,
instead, in their post-contemporarity were praised and celebrated. Were the critics of that time wrong or are we wrong now?
I finish with a promise: the next auction will be held among people, in an Italian square, like in the times of the ancient Romans, where they used to sell the possessions of public Treasury debtors around a spear embedded in the ground (sub asta vendere). So, I invite Italian Public Administrators to give some thought to the social, cultural and economic aspect of this idea that would be totally new for the art world, usually accustomed to static events: fairs, exhibitions and shows organised in enclosed, predefined spaces. A travelling market, a moving hub of attraction for the public and, why not, for dealers, collectors and art enthusiasts in general.
Come forward. The door is finally open.
Good luck and a successful auction for everyone.
Maria BRUNEREAU
Responsible Department Communications
Aurum Auction House srl
Via Calatabiano, 44
Catania - ITALY
openartaurum@gmail.com
www.equilibriarte.org/openartaurum
www.aurumaste.com


