Art world leaders come together for Talking Galleries’ art business symposium

What happens when the art world’s esteemed professionals come together to share their intense ideas, thoughts and views?

Fortunately, we get to witness that in April 2022 through Barcelona-based non-profit Talking Galleries. It will be the first major in-person meeting of arts professionals in New York since the onset of the pandemic. Talking Galleries will host an edition of its renowned art business symposium that will incorporate a wide program of presentations and discussions addressing issues such as the shifting geography of the art world, trends in finance and digital technology, and the power of arts organisations to respond to urgent public concerns. Taking place at the Gilder Lehrman Hall at The Morgan Library & Museum, the symposium features an international roster of distinguished speakers.

Talking Galleries New York, in a new partnership with Schwartzman and Associates, an art advisory firm in the United States, has scheduled the two-day symposium for April 4 and 5, 2022.

Loring Randolph, a leader within the international art world with more than 15 years of experience, directed the program that includes nearly 50 top-level speakers, including museum directors, gallerists, curators, artists, scholars, journalists, non-profit leaders, and auction house and art fair executives. They will share their views and join in conversations about the significant issues facing the art world today.

“It has been thrilling to bring this meaningful program to life in New York. I am grateful to the many brilliant friends and colleagues in our community who are participating in this series of talks. We have so much to learn from one another, and it is my hope that our conversations this April will be one of the most engaging art world moments of our 2022 calendar,” said Randolph. She currently serves as the director of a world-renowned private art collection.

The founder of Talking Galleries, Llucià Homs, mentioned, “At a moment of unprecedented disruption and change, I am pleased that, with the support of Schwartzman & Associates, we can bring this year’s Talking Galleries program to New York. Originally founded to generate debate and develop knowledge in the art market and among galleries, this year’s slate of presentations and discussions provides an even more comprehensive and global examination of issues facing the art world, from the individual to the institutional to the geopolitical. We are pleased to welcome leading figures across the field to debate current challenges, share experiences, and raise concerns that will ultimately guide us as we re-think existing models and look toward the future.”

“We are thrilled Talking Galleries chose New York for its next symposium,” Allan Schwartzman, head of Schwartzman & Associates, said. “There has never been a more critical time for us to gather and hear from each other on where our industry is going, amid profound political, economic, and cultural challenge and change. We are grateful to host such a deeply thoughtful program, which will put us all at the forefront of these conversations.”

On day one, Lindsay Pollock, Chief Communications and Content Director of the Whitney Museum of American Art and former Editor in Chief of Art in America, will address the unprecedented developments in the art world over the last few years and beyond. New York Times critic at large, Jason Farago, will kick off day two, speaking on the future of the art world at a time of increasing uncertainty.

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A Spanish non-profit think tank, Talking Galleries relentlessly generates knowledge and fosters debate regarding art galleries and the global art market. Through the organisation of symposia internationally, the organisation brings together leading figures and newcomers to the art world to debate the possible impact of current challenges, share experiences, raise concerns, and re-think existing models.

The art symposium would address the following topic, Public Institutions: A New Vision for the Future – exploring how museums are being redefined in the 21^st century. Further, a New York-centric discussion on new collaborations and models of innovation, exploring borrowing and lending within the context of art, and discussing new markets and new fairs in Asia. Additionally, a discussion on what the future holds for the African art market with a growing infrastructure supporting artists, collectors, and curators. Through The Invisible Market program, they will discuss how more than 90 per cent of transactions within the art market remain private, a discussion addressing the hunger for more data. Moreover, there will be a focus on climate change within arts programming along with an exploration of what the Caribbean can teach us about urgency, agency, perseverance, and positive change through its art and diaspora. Also, a discussion of what we can learn from art-tech pioneers and the future of the digital art landscape, discussing patronage, relationships with artists and institutions, and more.

(Text by Vatsala Sethi, Asst. Editorial Coordinator (Arts))