A Rising Demand For Video Art Redefines The Gallery Business

Video allegedly killed the radio star. When it came to art, video got a different idea: become the star itself. Video Art is experiencing a breakthrough which has started even before coronavirus quarantined culture online. Pioneered in the 1960s by Korean-American artist Nam June Paik, it remained off the mainstream radar for decades. Advances in technology encouraged artists to embrace new audiovisual possibilities. As a sign of cultural shift, Guggenheim Bilbao mounted a controversial video art retrospective by artist Bill Viola for its 20th anniversary. These days, video art is suddenly everywhere: from major industry headlines to local news reports. David Hockney, the most expensive living artist, has just created video art for Telegraph Magazine while in lockdown in Normandy. In Greensboro, North Carolina, artist Ian Berry presented a public video art piece celebrating the region’s textile heritage and essential service workers. Then there is Zoom putting our creative lives on video loop. As museums rush to upgrade their virtual programming, the digitally-native art is finally gaining momentum. I wanted to better understand the nuances of the video art market, so I sat down with a digital arts business expert Nalada Taechanarong.

Her Xumiiro Gallery in Beverly Hills and Bangkok is fusing the experimental nature of Asian arts with American entrepreneurial spirit. Taechanarong specialized in acquisition of rare luxury items, consulting private clients. It introduced her to timeless quality craftsmanship and the high-end collector challenges. “If you want Picasso, Basquiat, Warhol… you are stuck at the auctions. It’s a bit of a dead end.” She wanted to pursue a road less traveled and shifted her focus. She attended an underground experimental music party in Hong Kong that quickly evolved into an art happening attracting some of the world’s most creative minds. “I had not seen anything like it. These people were doing something truly new,” reminisces Taechanarong. A partnership with an artist known as 0010×0010 became a blockbuster show at MOCA Bangkok, extended three times. Her new project delivers experiences that stimulate sight, hearing and mind via video, static images, sculptures and 3D audio.

Video art is becoming a popular alternative to already established video content: music videos, streaming series, the entire YouTube. The rules of supply and demand dictate emergence of commercial solutions. Renowned German video art collector Julia Stoschek began to publicly release nearly 1000 titles from her catalog. Debuting in 2011, Sedition is one of the oldest video art platforms on the market. It has launched a $15 a month unlimited streaming subscription service. Its closest competitor since 2015, Daata has introduced streaming for $10 per month with a three-months free trial to court the interest of those in self-isolation.

Taechanarong is wary of such democratization because she is concerned with quality of the works available en masse on demand. Xumiiro has its own application-only online viewing room. “Curation, curation, curation” is the new virtual estate motto. The Xumiiro mission is “to go beyond what we’ve seen in the past 100 years” in art engagement. I could not think of a better person to answer my questions.

Why was it difficult for video art to get fully recognized? 

Museums and galleries have acquired quite a lot of “conventional” inventory. Institutions often have a hard time to let go of what worked best for them in the past. It’s almost a conflict of interest. However, if you look at what is popular with the audience, multimedia installations draw great traffic. Video art is also extremely suitable for our times. For example, everyone saw and shared that 3D Wave installation in Seoul. From a creative and business standpoint, some make an analogy with crypto currencies. People are hesitant because both ideas are not fully accepted in our society. However, it’s not hard to foresee that digital formats and cryptocurrencies are the future.

You mention Seoul and video art has its roots in Asia. What explains its success there?

I feel that Asia naturally is more open-minded towards hi-tech concepts. There is a rich art history, but we tend to always look forward and not dwell on old concepts. Just take Japan. Japanese experimental artists have never been shy about exploring new, exciting ways to create in every medium. When teamLab launched their Borderless Experience in Tokyo, it blew everyone away. It’s no surprise that after such success, European and American venues are following the all-digital trend. 

It can be an amazing experience in a controlled public environment, but what are the benefits of owning video art privately?

You can enjoy it pretty much the same as any other art piece. In your place, on your time. However, it has the advantage of being portable and therefore much more accessible. You cannot really travel with your Dali, but you can project your video art collection on any wall or screen, pause at any frame, move it around the space. You could play with technical settings to temporarily alter it. Our video art comes in various formats: 16mm film, 35mm film, VHS tape, and HD digital. Owning the rights to a piece means you could make prints and merchandise. You can license certain works for events and streaming to create additional revenue over time.

How to know if the video art I’m seeing is a worthwhile art investment?

Art appreciation is very subjective, but art appraisal can be objective. With video art, there is not really a clear line yet what is what. Within a few years we’ll see video and multimedia taking more space which will make collectors feel more secure. Like not every painting or photo is fine art, the same process of evaluation is underway for video. It makes the whole experience for the artist, the audience, and the collector more exciting. We are creating the value together now. It is how some restaurants serve buffet and some have Michelin stars and waiting lists. We develop ideas about quality that honor the time, effort, and money of the creators.

In the age of sharing from TikTok to Instagram, how can video artists protect their work?

Find the right people to support you and try not to overexpose yourself. At Xumiiro, we work from an obscure and exclusive business model. This is not for everyone! Hermes and Richard Mills will always keep quantity control and manage high demand. Not everyone can have it, even if you have money. I think much of the mystery is getting lost. It’s important to keep unique personality in art. Some might copy your style, but the original work will grow in value. 

How do you identify artists to represent?

From this standpoint, the main investment is in the artist. I consider their works secondary. When I look at art or listen to music, the questions I always ask myself first are who and why, not what. The art and music I love tends to have been created by the most eccentric and special kind of people with crazy life stories and incredible experiences. This is the reason I currently work exclusively with one artist. If you have the right one, that is all you need to make history.

So, tell me about 0010×0010 and what makes your collaboration special. I’ve written about wearable sound technology and virtual reality music before. This subject fascinates me. 

3D audio is a relatively new art concept in itself. Many viral “3D songs” are just stereo files treated to give that illusion. They were not recorded or mixed in 3D. In this way, what 0010×0010 does is uniquely different: a sound painting. It can be created with a complete free spirit. It can project strong emotions and deeply intriguing cultural expressions. 0010×0010 creates sound paintings using a rare range of vintage synthesizers and samplers as well as high tech modular setups and the finest of digital sounds and software. All sounds and instruments are recorded and/or moving in real space separately. It is made intentionally for headphones for our installations, both online and onsite. In addition, site-specific installations have multi-speaker setups to create the right 3D audio environment. Due to coronavirus we had to postpone a simultaneous show with Saatchi Gallery London, but it will happen in due time. 

How do you see the video art scene changing post-coronavirus?

On one hand, this new interest in the medium is great. Unfortunately, many museums who were forced to expand online currently offer nothing more than regular image galleries. A kind of high-end Pinterest, a bit boring if you ask me. I think people who “discover” multimedia art now will be more excited to experience it in real life setting. Big projections allow to keep social distancing as opposed to crowding to see a small painting. It is a time for challenges and opportunities. We are equally excited to welcome people back online and onsite.  No matter what the future holds the global pandemic hasn’t slowed business for my gallery. Hopefully, everything we try to do will add a bit of positivity and light to everyone’s day, as we all navigate this future together.

For those who want to begin their romance with video art, where should they start?

I keep an eye on the Video Art & Experimental Film Festival (VAEFF) and its program, the artists, the jury. Get to know Shirin Neshat who turned video art into powerful political tool. Artsy had a great article on why video art is having its big moment. And always, my artist 0010×0010 on Instagram and Xumiiro.com are good gateways.