Patronise Me! What is the Value of Art?
£6 / £5 Concessions / £4 ICA Members.
On the day the markets crashed, Damien Hirst made £111 million at auction, prompting speculation that art could be the investment that survives the global crisis. But does ownership or patronage of the arts have to be for the elite rather than the masses? Do we need objects for a buyer to perceive worth? Are the current models of financing artists via public or private commission stifling creativity? And can online systems of micro-financing provide a new economic model of patronship that empowers audiences as well as artists?
Speakers include: Sarah Thornton, author of Seven Days in the Art World; artist Jasper Joffe, founder of The Free Art Fair; Andrew Burke, director of the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurial Performance; and Julie Lomax, Head of Visual Arts, Arts Council England. Chair: Julie Freeman (creator, Dogs’ Ears).