Le Journal Interviews

How has technology changed the art market?
After many years running successful galleries in Switzerland and Asia, we noticed habits had changed dramatically. In the past, collectors were often exclusive to a single dealer or a gallery, but the web radically changed the art market. Collectors now research artists online and travel to art fairs, but they are visiting their local galleries less. This realization is what drove us to create ArtAndOnly. With us, collectors now have a trusted partner to easily access a much wider market directly and buy globally.

READ: Understanding the Art Market

You have experience in both running a gallery and knowledge in marketing with new technology. How do these two skills come together with ArtAndOnly?
Our experience in Singapore gave us expanded vision of the art market. Even with a physical space, we quickly identified the changing trends of collectors and began to use new media to not only source work from artists around the world, but also reach clients in many different countries. Our solid online presence meant we already had the foundation of a truly global marketplace. This success naturally evolved into the idea that a comprehensive web platform is exactly what today’s artists and collectors have been asking for. ArtAndOnly was born thanks to our knowledge of both art and technology – and the ability to create a global online marketplace from the ground up.

ArtAndOnly’s online model seems to be much more in touch with a modern consumer’s use of the web. Is the old gallery system completely antiquated?
ArtAndOnly’s platform provides infinitely more possibilities to buy, sell and discover new work around the world. By dematerializing the old brick-and-mortar model, we are able to give collectors the unique opportunity to access the market directly. By its very nature, art celebrates the wide array of global and cultural variety. ArtAndOnly becomes a trusted partner by specifically providing collectors the same level of access already common in other areas of e-commerce.

How have artists responded to your global online approach?
Artists have been clearly searching for new ways to increase awareness of their work. We are pleased to have long-term relationships with influential contemporary artists who have long understood the need for a platform like ours to showcase their exclusive work. Through our blog, Le Journal, we provide an ideal platform to convey these ideas, news, and trends in the marketplace, while also sharing our passion for contemporary art.

Have you seen any resistance to evolving into an online model?
Not at all. We are proud to be able to adapt to the changes in the art market, not resist them. Traditional galleries today face a lot of challenges when you consider the business model has not changed much in centuries, while the mentalities of artists and collectors have changed significantly. We are excited to be on the cutting edge of this evolution of the market with our new venture, and our growing list of collectors and exclusive artists reinforces this.

Why should I sign-up with ArtAndOnly?
Anyone can see the complete collection, but there are benefits of being a registered user. By signing up, you can easily follow artists you’re interested in and get instant updates about their new works delivered right to your inbox. In addition, you can create wish lists of pieces and receive monthly summaries about all the activity you’re involved in. We know collectors want to stay up-to-date on an artist or artwork they are attracted to and being a member of our platform makes it easy.

What do you look for when consigning a new piece?
ArtAndOnly believes in quality, not in quantity. Our criteria are the same as in our former gallery, whether the artists are extremely famous or at the beginning of their career. We combine our expertise and eye for talent with numerous curators to evaluate and identify each piece’s quality, uniqueness and excellence. ArtAndOnly is a high-end platform, and when considering a new work, it is this strong selection process which allows us to offer the most interesting and exclusive works to a wider audience.

This is clearly a huge venture that requires a lot of experience. Will traditional galleries be able to adapt in the way you have?
We are certainly providing a highly valuable service that the changing art market has demanded, and our extensive relationships with collectors, artists and curators is what gives us the ability to create this unique network and platform. Whether other galleries are able to adapt or not, building an online platform is a massive project that involves a great understanding of all the parameters of running a gallery, plus exceptional knowledge of new technologies and global e-commerce. We also wanted to bring our soul to this new venture. Along with our expertise, passion and experience, we’ve created the premiere marketplace for collectors who are looking for a high-end partner in selling or buying art.