Missed the ARTE Generali expert panel “Collection Management”,  organized in cooperation with Art Cologne? Moderated by Sven Kielgas, Ambassador of the Cologne Fine Art and Design, our experts Alexandra Schües, art evaluation expert at C. Gielisch GmbH, Gisela Gulbins, Vice-president of the German Association of Restorers, Hans-Ewald Schneider, CEO of Hasenkamp Internationale Transporte, and our Head of Germany Iris Handke, explain what tools are available for an art collector today and how they support the passion to preserve art for the future generations. 

Here our insights of our panel discussion!

Certainly, NFTs pose a challenge to the insurance world, which up until now has provided insurance coverages based on the notions of direct and material damage to physical artworks. The term “material” refers to the fact that the damage must affect the artwork’s materiality, while “direct” indicates that the damage is not consequential.

ARTE Generali’s fine art insurance policies cover accidental damages to artworks and upon the policy’s subscription, the market value of the art piece is established. In the case of damages or of loss (complete or partial) of the artwork’s value, the insurance company compensates the loss with its pecuniary equivalent, given the impossibility to replace the artwork with an identical one (given the concepts of uniqueness and originality). In the claim’s settlement phase, two aspects are taken into consideration: one tied to the artwork’s materiality, thus intervening on the piece by restoring it, while the other is associated with the art piece’s market value, based on which the depreciation resulting from the claim is calculated. “Depreciation” is this setting, refers to the loss of value as a consequence of a damage, which is computed in proportion to the loss of originality and authenticity.

While classical or traditional art (e.g. paintings, sculptures etc.) do not pose substantial challenges, contemporary art on the contrary often leads to face new challenges. Conceptual and immaterial art, amongst which NFTs can be included, certainly add a layer of complexity, also from an insurance standpoint, to the aforementioned concepts and processes. In the artwork’s dematerialization process, which frequently occurs in the contemporary art field, the concept of “hic and nunc” (here and now), proper of something original, authentic and non-repeatable, is no longer present. The insurance sector has worked so far with the concepts of uniqueness and authenticity, and thus in the context of objects that are non-substitutable and irreplaceable.

The challenge that contemporary art poses to the insurance world stems from the fact that in the former, the artist interrupts the creative process in the conceptual phase of the artwork’s ideation and consequently does not move the project forward until the realization of the tangible art piece. In these cases, the artistic creative process culminates with the production of documents, which allow to produce a tangible form of the artwork. It has taken decades for contemporary art to be understood and it is likely that the same will occur with digital art. In the case of Sol Lewitt’s artworks for instance, the artwork’s essence is to be found in the contract, in the certificate which establishes the relationship between the artist and the buyer. The certificate can be insured because it covers a double function: the first is that it is unique, just as in the case of an artwork, while the second is that certificates are usually tangible and most commonly under the form of a sheet of paper with original signatures.

In the case of files instead, can these be considered as objects? May one attribute to a file the same characteristics which can be found in a certificate tied to a conceptual art work? A token for instance, is numbered and this constitutes a permanent record of its authenticity and ownership. The system with which tokens are numbered may be compared to the approach applied to certificates, and thus lead to the possibility of insuring tokens. However, the latter do not align with the requirement of non-reproducibility and originality. Moreover, for what concerns the risk assessment practices that are usually applied in order to underwrite a fine art insurance policy (e.g. who manager the alarm system, safety measures in place in a museum etc.), it is complex to apply these to platforms dedicated to the trade of NFTs. At present, the necessary standards to insure these objects are not yet in place.

The fine art insurance sector has evolved over time to cover conceptual art pieces and probably the same will occur in the future for cryptoart when the insured items will be more defined and regulated from a market and legal standpoint. 

 

 

The art historian Cristina Resti works as an Art Expert and Art Network Manager at Arte Generali. She is also a lecturer in multiple master programs and universities, including for the “Economy and Art Market” course at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. She is also a member of ICOM’s Security and Emergency commission in Italy.

Abstraction is dead. At least, that’s what David Hockney believes, according to a column he wrote for The Art Newspaper. ‘Abstraction in art has run its course’ is the very definitive, wholly final, and entirely self-assured headline that accompanies the piece.

And Hockney is in a good position to pass judgement: he is, after all, one of the true living giants of contemporary painting. But is he right? Is abstraction really dead?

Hockney’s main argument is that abstraction’s job ‘was to take away the shadows that had dominated European art for centuries’. He’s referring to the move away from the dramatic lighting and chiaroscuro of pre-1840s painting towards the bright, shadow-less art of the impressionists. He sees abstraction as the last logical step in the de-shadowfication of painting. But in the same breath, he’s also saying that abstraction’s job was to shake off the shackles of centuries of art rules, and that its mission has been accomplished. He’s saying that abstraction isn’t necessary anymore because it did it, it took away those shadows, it destroyed the rule book and now we can all just get on with the task of starting again.

I mean, obviously, abstraction has created its own new set of rules (or shadows) for people to follow. But the old rules are still being torn down in new ways, and abstraction is as alive as it's ever been.

Post-pandemic, there is a thirst for painting unlike any we’ve seen for decades. Frieze, Art Basel, and the majority of the world’s best contemporary art galleries are full of works on canvas. A big chunk of those paintings will be abstract.
Just look at ‘Mixing It Up: Painting Today’, the Hayward Gallery’s major autumn show, dedicated to painters working today. Among them, you’ll find Oscar Murillo, Rachel Jones and Samara Scott, artists pushing abstraction in totally new directions.

Murillo politicises it, creating huge, daunting, oil stick images on sackcloth used for global trade. Rachel Jones uses it to explore ideas of the black body, through enormous, kaleidoscopic canvases. Samara Scott fills tubs of coloured liquid with plastic bags and phone chargers, twisting them into flowing compositions, like abstract portraits of everyday life. All of these artists are trading on the history of abstraction, but pushing it and morphing it.

And they’re doing well. Really well. According to data from Wondeur, Samara Scott ranks in the top 4.56% of artists with the highest institutional recognition worldwide and is in the top 1.9% established artists with the fastest career growth worldwide, with 45% growth in the last 5 years in her career.

Rachel Jones, meanwhile, ranks in the top 8.89% of artists with the highest institutional recognition worldwide and is in the top 3.41% established artists with the fastest career growth worldwide. Her career has seen 255% growth in the last 5 years,

And Oscar Murillo (1986) ranks in the top 0.94% of artists with the highest institutional recognition worldwide. Oscar Murillo is in the top 10.9% star artists with the fastest career growth worldwide.

During that time, Oscar Murillo had 21 solo shows and 65 group shows at places like MoMA PS1, Haus der Kunst and Stockholm’s Moderna Museet among others.

And those three artists are just examples from one exhibition. Abstraction is everywhere. When you entered the Frieze tent this year, what were the first things you saw, right there in front of you? Abstracts, by Jennifer Guidi at Gagosian, a whole booth of them. And to your left? More abstracts by Lucy Bull at David Kordansky.

And all this is even before we consider the world of digital abstraction, where artists like Zach Lieberman are using algorithms and neural networks to create wholly abstract images from a totally new perspective. There is so much abstraction out there, doing so many interesting, new things.

‘Many critics used to say Piet Mondrian was the last of them. Perhaps it did go on a bit longer in the US. Frank Stella in his show at the Whitney Museum of American Art (2015-16) seemed to be saying this’, Hockney says in his article. For him, abstraction ended - at a push - with the minimalists. But abstraction didn’t run its course then, and it hasn’t run its course now, you just have to look around you and you’ll see it, absolutely everywhere.

 

By Eddy Frankel, ARTE Generali author

 

Sophie Chahinian started her career in film as an actor, but over the years has moved to the other side of the camera. Now, she runs The Artist Profile Archive, an in-depth resource filled with interviews with some of the world’s most important artists. Her work gives viewers an insight into the processes, ideas and lives of artists, and has featured stars like Chuck Close, Dan Graham, Robert Longo and Shirin Neshat. Here, she tells us about her relationships with these creative forces, and why documentary filmmaking is so important in contemporary art.

 

First of all, what is The Artist Profile Archive? What is it, what does it do?

The Artist Profile Archive is a uniquely curated video archive of contemporary artist profiles, wherein artists talk about their work in their own words, usually in their own studios. Additionally, the website offers multimedia content featuring exhibition photos, audio clips, biographies, as well as a glimpse of what goes on behind-the-scenes. As a production company, we offer filmmaking services for artists, galleries, museums and collectors.

 

How did you end up in film making?

I started in film as an actor and producer. I didn't realize it at the time, but my various experiences in film ended up being on-the-job training for becoming a filmmaker myself. When I completed my master's degree in contemporary art, I combined my two areas of interest.

 

Why focus on art documentaries rather than any other film discipline?

Art is something I believe in that has enriched my life immeasurably. Yet somehow many people feel that art is esoteric or that they don't get it or that it's not for them. Our objective at The Artist Profile Archive is to make contemporary art more understandable and accessible to anyone curious about it. Having the artists speak about their own work and personal journeys to becoming artists allows the audience to make a human connection and this adds to the experience of art and exhibitions.

 

The Artist Profile Archive’s artist films are short, accessible and freely available - do you feel like you’re providing a service, a way of getting people interested in art?

We are definitely providing an educational service with easily digestible content that also has a consistent production value.

 

How important as the internet been to building your brand?

I don't know if I would be doing this without the internet! The internet has given The Artist Profile Archive a place to live where others can enjoy.

 

Where does your own interest in art come from?

My interest in art was a solid appreciation of the Impressionists until I sat next to Light and Space artist, the late Eric Orr, on a flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I started working for him thereafter and in my capacity as his studio manager I was able to meet a lot of the artists who were living and working in Venice, CA. This opened up my eyes to contemporary art and the excitement of being able to experience art that is made by a living artist. I wanted others to also have access to that singular experience of hearing artists speak extemporaneously about their work and thus The Artist Profile Archive was born.

 

How do you choose who to work with?

When we accept a commission to make artist profile films for museums, galleries or artists, we include these films in the archive. When we are not commissioned, I select artists of critical significance who our audience would appreciate hearing from; we also have some lesser-known artists I've discovered whose work has inspired me when I have seen it in person and wondered who the artist behind it was.

 

Do any of the artists you’ve worked with hold a special place in your heart? Is there a standout film you’ve produced that means a lot to you ?

It was a tremendous privilege to be invited by Shirin Neshat to create a behind-the-scenes documentary during her filming of the Land of Dreams video installations. Going on location to New Mexico and being able to spend many days with her and her amazing film team was a fantastic learning experience, and the film that we made has been well received every time it has been shown. Even better is that Shirin and her partner Shoja Azari both loved how it turned out, and they have become dear friends.

 

Do you yourself collect art?

I have started collecting art. I wasn't planning to collect mostly female artists, but as it turns out, some of my favorite pieces are by women, including Carol Peligian, Farida El Gazzar, Letha Wilson, Sheree Hovsepian and Kelsey Henderson.

 

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into your industry?

Documentary filmmaking requires patience and dedication, which means a huge investment of time, so be prepared!

 

Finally, what do you see as the future for the kind of art films you produce?

When I initially started making these films, I felt that I had to convince people that videos need to be on artist, gallery and museum websites. Now I don't have to. These films are appreciated as a valuable source of education, inspiration and celebration of contemporary art and the artists who make it. As we add more profiles to The Artist Profile Archive, the collection as a whole will come to have deeper meaning as a historical record over time.

 

 

What a great experience to be back at Art Cologne, Germany's most important art fair, again!

After more than two years, one of the world's oldest art fairs of its kind finally opened its doors again, attended by enthusiastic gallerists, curators and collectors from across the world. As an official partner of the art fair, we had the pleasure to speak to the Art Director of Art Cologne, Daniel Hug, and gallerists of OFFICE IMPART, Johanna Neuschäffer and Anne Schwanz as well as Max Goelitz of Munich gallery max goelitz.

What new trends occurred? How do the gallerists feel to be back after many years? Here our impressions from the Art Cologne fair, together with our Head of ARTE Generali Germany, Iris Handke.