Art has a bad reputation. It is elitist, exclusive and difficult for the wider public to access. But with an increased emphasis on creativity and its role in the ‘knowledge’ economy, perhaps art can contribute more to our lives than we currently realise.
On 17 January, we are delighted to be joined by our panellists speaking on the topic of making art more accessible to everyone.
Historically speaking, what have been the factors that have made the art world difficult to access?
Have these barriers been lifted with the advent of digital technology?
Currently, some consider the arts to be ‘soft subjects’. What can we do to ensure that this perception changes?
On the panel –
Paul Hobson has been the Director of Modern Art Oxford since September 2013. Paul read History at the University of Oxford and completed post-graduate studies in aesthetics and contemporary visual theory. Working for more than twenty years in the art world, Paul joined the gallery as Director following senior roles at the Contemporary Art Society, The Showroom, the Serpentine Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts in London.
Natasha Arselan is the CEO and founder of AucArt, the world’s first online auction house specialising in early career contemporary art. It provides a platform for contemporary art produced by artists in their final year of a BA or MA up until three years out of art school. Prices are immediately visible, with its ‘Buy Now’ capped feature, lifting the veil on an otherwise opaque art system. Unlike the traditional 50 percent commission structure that galleries offer, artists in the AucArt network benefit by receiving 70 percent of the final price.
Laura Molloy is a graduate researcher at the Ruskin School of Art and the Oxford Internet Institute. Building on her previous academic research at the University of Glasgow, Laura focuses on how artists use the internet to support their practice. She looks specifically at the artistic and economic value of the internet in the working practices of today’s artists.
The panel will be moderated by Cyrus Mahboubian, a British-Iranian artist known for his contemplative approach to photography and his continued use of analogue materials, especially polaroid. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in the UK and abroad.
