Texte zur Kunst. The Gallerists

As gatekeeper to artistic production on the one hand and market valuation on the other, the gallerist, since the inception of the “dealer-critic” / “dealer-collector” systems, has occupied a decidedly privileged position within the artistic field. But in recent years, the demands of this profession have changed. Expected to maintain 24/7 communication, perpetual travel, and a constant presence at fairs, this art world protagonist has in turn, adapted their role to accommodate these pressures.

In light of this, what, today, can we make of the “good” gallerist carefully establishing a stable of artists, “placing” their work over time in particular institutional and private collections? And how does this position correspond with those of the many new (or at least newly prominent) mediators further altering the field – the advisors and consultants, the “flippers,” and various digitally-based aggregators? Further to this we ask if this restructuring is affecting (or indeed is an effect of) the ways in which artists now work. And if a market taking place independently of gallerists is indeed increasing, how then does this affect the established mechanisms of validation and canonization?