The Art World After Coronavirus
Back in March 2020, then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson announced our first lockdown. The UK was advised to curtail any unnecessary social contact, and work from home except where necessary. Johnson’s followed global efforts by numerous governments to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Within arts, this largely served only to underline the choices made by galleries and arts institutions in London and globally.
Within weeks of the outbreak at the start of 2020, precautionary measures were rapidly adopted by hordes of privately owned commercial galleries, notably, TEFAF Maastricht closed its doors four days early due to an exhibitor testing positive for coronavirus. The knock-on effects of isolation and quarantine were widespread and immediate; immunocompromised artists found themselves unable to produce work or exhibit their work, threatening their livelihoods; and industry employees at all levels are finding themselves in precarious positions as the future of the art world seems uncertain. The art world has always been known to be a small one, but the outbreak of a global pandemic really proved just how small the community really is.
In London multiple galleries switched to appointment only opening hours and began working remotely, a trend which has continued in the post-pandemic society we now live in. These actions formed part of a multinational plan from these institutions. Local governments did prove to be aware of the financial challenges such businesses would face, in New York, for example, the government offered interest free loans to buy up businesses of under 100 employees who suffered more than a 25% decrease in sales, and businesses of under five employees are eligible for grants to cover 40% of salaries. In the UK, the Chancellor announced £330bn of loans for businesses at risk, along with further aid and steps to secure renters and mortgage holders.
When we first published a version of this article back in March 2020, we knew that with so much financial precarity, as well as concerns for public health, the effects on the arts sector were looking to be extensive, but it was unclear at that time exactly what the impacts were going to be. Institutions were starting to put in place the innovative solutions that we expect of the creative industries, and the online output of arts institutions improved exponentially. Still now, you can ‘visit’ several galleries and museums via their websites, as such businesses have seen how greater accessibility, such as through online gallery tours, can benefit their businesses.
In April 2024, it is possible to reflect on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the UK’s several lockdowns had on the art world, from the normalcy of remote working to greater online resources. The rest of this article will review the impacts of Coronavirus on the art world today.
A marked criticism of the art world as an industry has historically been elitism, in particular, the industry has been notorious for failing to keep pace with other industries when it comes to digital technology. This had to change in 2020. Today, art organisations attest that the rise of social media and the internet more broadly, have contributed to increased engagement, making art a more ‘participatory experience’, improved the diversity of arts audiences and crucially, developed further what is considered to be art.
This change can be directly linked to the changes brought about by the forced closure of the art world as institutions had to improve their online presence in order to maintain their presence. Now, an online presence is an essential part of a business, and as many realised, is a far more financially beneficial way to conduct business.
Within a year of the outbreak of Covid-19, much of the industry were seeing marked changes in who was engaging with and purchasing art. Art journalist and consultant Mary Corrigall reported as soon as 2022 that vast technological innovation and online auctions had already contributed to a significant uptick in sales. For example, whilst in person auctions had obviously suffered, reported online sales of art and antiques doubled the 2019 figures from $6 billion, to $12.4 billion. Additionally, despite fears, the value of art remained stable and with greater accessibility to auctions and sales, the number of individuals growing, and even beginning an art collection, grew in unprecedented numbers, perhaps due to the greater transparency of art auctions that online sales necessitated.
Further impacts to the art world are alluded to in the above. Interviewed by Katie Carey in 2022, American artist and gallery owner Susan Hensel explained that thanks to the ways in which art was consumed changed, so did what constitutes art. As technology and digital tools developed, who and how art is produced changed, many independent artists began to produce smaller pieces at lower price points. Similarly, art has become a more accessible career option for a wider range of people. One significant development is the use of social media for marketing, allowing younger artists, often young women, a popular following and thus the ability to produce original pieces of artwork sell their own work and engage with their audience in digestible forms. On TikTok, for example, creators such as @kirstypaints documents her work process, gives advice on starting a career as an artist and a social media creator, and on her website, offers a commissioning service.
How we engage with art has changed, but the familiar art institutions and environments survived the tumultuous years of the pandemic despite fears that the industry would fail. Arguably, the forced changes and developments to the art world’s accessibility and digitalisation is a rarely positive impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Sources:
‘How Covid accelerated the evolution of the art world’, Artwork Archive, University of Demo, (January 2021), https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/how-covid-accelerated-the-evolution-of-the-art-world
Corrigall, Mary, ‘The impact of Covid-19 on the global art market’, Investec, (January 2022), https://www.investec.com/en_za/focus/investec-cape-town-art-fair/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-global-art-market.html
Thomson, Kristin, Purcell, Kristen, Raine, Lee, ‘Section 6: Overall Impact of Technology on the Arts’, Pew Research Center, (January 2013), https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2013/01/04/section-6-overall-impact-of-technology-on-the-arts/#:~:text=The%20arts%20organizations%20represented%20in,played%20a%20major%20role%20in
Carey, Katie, ‘One Artist's Perspective on How Covid Affected the Art Industry’, Artwork Archive, (April 2022), https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/one-artist-s-perspective-on-how-covid-affected-the-art-industry