Art, Events and Coronavirus
Covid-19 has had a profound impact on all of us. So much has happened in the course of this one year that it’s hard to keep track of everything. From the time where it seemed like it’s a faraway virus that will never reach us, to the time where masks were labelled as useless, to our very first Lockdown in March, the reopening in Summer where freedom seemed tangible, to the shutdown in Winter again – and here we are, one full year later, still in midst of the pandemic – and this Roller-coaster we’re on, only just seems to be slowing down.
“The Art sector is such a sociable place with art fairs, auctions, openings and all the other events around it.”
So many small businesses went into ruins, restaurants and cultural hubs into hibernation trying to survive the longest winter they have ever had to endure. As physical places are shut, people are locked into their homes and the online business world is booming. Zoom, Shopify, Instagram, Clubhouse have all adapted to engage, advertise and sell to their customers. Zoom parties, Clubhouse talks, Instagram Lives, this is about how social it has gotten in Covid times. I have thought about these tools for Studi0 and how they can or cannot be used in terms of engaging and replacing events in the art sector and here are my thoughts on it:
The Art sector is such a sociable place with art fairs, auctions, openings and all the other events around it. A place to meet people, to learn from people and to discuss with people. Us too, here at Studi0, had an extensive events plan, ready to be rolled out under the restrictions that were in place at the time of course. Covid-19 has brought that all to a halt and quickly no social gatherings were tolerated at all - and even worse, our doors had to be kept shut. The usual way of how the art sector worked had to be rethought and reanalysed to ensure they could survive and this meant a shift from physical to digital – and it had to happen fast.
The idea of hosting digital events is a daunting one, for me at least – how can you make your invitees feel stimulated and like they belong in an online format and especially in the arts. For instance, let’s say at a gallery opening, there is a whole 4D experience for a guest, the space you can walk through, the artworks you can look at from every angle possible, the different textures, the chatter you can hear from people around you and finally the multiple discussions you’re having, it’s a full package for your senses. When looking at an online format, I’m struggling to see how this experience can be simulated. You will always be looking at a screen, the interactions are minimal if any at all and the art works itself only visible through pixels, which is not always as accurate as on would wish.
“For us, as a newly founded gallery focusing on emerging artists only, this was crucial in a time like this.”
Nevertheless, online is not all bad, it has proven vital in engaging with people. For us, as a newly founded gallery focusing on emerging artists only, this was crucial in a time like this. There was no other way to meet and engage with like minded people and potential customers. Even though, I believe, it can’t be the same as a physical visit to a gallery, museum, theatre or any other cultural place, it has seen us through the pandemic up until now. It has also added new ways of thinking about art and creating art, for example digital art, as well as innovative new ways of selling the art online.
Studi0’s events were a big part of the business plan at first, the idea of hosting many people from different places in our space and being able to show them, not only the art itself but also facilitating a cultural hub for learning about emerging artists as well as engaging with the artists and their artwork, was and still is what we’re really after. Well, that didn’t work out – for now – we’re still confident this will be possible in the near future and cannot wait to welcome you, in person, then.
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See you there!
written by Katja Waldburger
