Davide Rosi Degli Esposti: on gallery collaboration
Excerpts from an interview by Luz Hitters
July 2020
It is no news that the art market, like many industries, has been heavily impacted by COVID-19. We have sadly seen galleries close, putting pressure on the people that constitute the cultural labour force. These people range from artists whose shows have been cancelled to employees that have been fired. However, as the art market begins reviving, we bear witness to the crucial role that art directors have in its resilience. As discussed by industry leaders such as Sadie Coles, Jeffrey Deitch and David Zwirner in “Art Basel Conversations” throughout the lockdown, collaboration and networking is essential for the persistence of art.[1]
A distinguished response to financial strain for artists is the “Artist Support Pledge”, a trend started by Matthew Burrows to encourage the sale of emerging artists' pieces on Instagram. The proposal invites artists to sell work for less than £200, and as profits from that artist’s sales surpass £1000, they promise to buy another artist's work. The initiative has generated over £15 million, allowing many artists to maintain profits throughout lockdown.[2]
Furthermore, the NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) has launched a collaborative virtual art fair model with over 200 galleries and no upfront fees. The objective was to start a network of financial support for galleries hit by the economic crisis, created by a cooperative profit-sharing strategy: 20% of the galleries’ sales profits are allocated to a collaborative fund to be split between all participating artists.[3]
In cities like Bologna (Italy), local galleries have decided to unite and fight the socioeconomic consequences of COVID-19. Together, they have created a project called “Gallery to Gallery”, which incentivises public gallery visits and promotes exhibitions from six local galleries: CAR DRDE, Otto Gallery, Enrico Astuni, De’Foscherari, Studio G7 and Galleria Più. We had the pleasure of interviewing Davide Rosi Degli Esposti, the director of CAR DRDE, a contemporary art gallery in the historical centre. Inspired by the architect Carlo Scarpa, Davide has re-structured the space, turning it into a concrete box that hosts different media. He shared with us his view on collaborative projects and the future of the art scene in Bologna:
How did the idea of this project arise? Is there a common topic or approach between the exhibitions?
The project “Gallery to Gallery” stemmed from the idea of celebrating the live experience, by marking the reopening of exhibition activities after over two months of closure.
“Gallery to Gallery” is a call to action which encourages people to reactivate their gaze and experience art directly, after a period of total departure from the physical experience. Deliberately there is no common topic among the exhibitions proposed in the tour. The galleries involved make a common front for the promotion and support of each other's programs.
This is probably the first real collaborative project that leads to the realisation of an actual experiment of widespread, shared contemporary art. The galleries involved in the project have in common the intention of networking in such a difficult time for the entire cultural system. We always try to collaborate and have an exchange between colleagues. Still, there was no real network already established between these galleries except in terms of knowledge, attendance, dialogue and working relationships.
How do you see the future of the art market in the city? Do you believe that collaboration between local and/or foreign galleries will become something we see more often?
During this post-lockdown period of great uncertainty for art galleries and major art events, working together and sharing has never been more fundamental. Re-activating is a necessity after the long closing period, and after digital inflation, a physical return to the exhibition spaces is indispensable. However difficult, this is the time to underline the importance of our profession in terms of cultural enterprise and commitment to the community.
I have always thought of the relationship between cultural operators as a fundamental theme for our work. That is precisely what this project wants to bring out. The central theme which must be addressed, and which I believe will be a source of discussion, is the necessity of a change. It is hard to make predictions. However, this can be a starting point for new visions and ideas useful to support a cultural system that, at present, has proven to be weak. It is essential to cooperate to obtain a real sector category related to contemporary art galleries, which allows us to have international recognition and weight and identify us as cultural enterprises. That authorises us to move some instances and will enable us to emerge and appear through our visions and our work; without being equated to any commercial activity. Indeed, the road ahead is not easy, but we can attempt to achieve all of this, and much more, by giving an expression of change, joining forces by teaming up.
Despite the grim paradigm the art market is facing, I strongly believe in its capacity to find solutions and overcome the adversities. Art’s biggest asset is its people, whose fresh ideas have always pushed through economic limitations and periods of uncertainty. Currently, it is crucial look for new, flexible strategies, that aid the most vulnerable sectors of the art industry–which are equally essential to its functioning than the less volatile ones. Collaborative projects could have a significant impact on the survival of the cultural sector, specifically when referring to local galleries and emerging artists. To achieve this, all stakeholders must commit to contributing as they can; for leaders to share their platforms, governments to back up projects, visitors to engage with exhibitions, and the general public to purchase from emerging artists.
Gallery to Gallery will be on until the 24th of July. If you happen to be in Bologna, we invite you to visit the shows and contribute to the recovery of the cultural sector.
[1] Art Basel, “Conversations: New Gallery Collaborations during the Crisis,” May 21, 2020, https://www.artbasel.com/stories/new-gallery-collaborations-during-the-crisis-zoom-webinar.
[2] Naomi Rea, “Emerging Artists Are Pledging to Support One Another During the Health Crisis by Buying Each Other's Work on Instagram,” March 19, 2020, https://news.artnet.com/art-world/artist-support-pledge-instagram-1807881.
[3] Margaret Carrigan, “Nada Launches New Collaborative Fair Model to Help Support Galleries,” The Art Newspaper (The Art Newspaper, May 14, 2020), https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/nada-launches-profit-sharing-fair-model.