An Invitation to Debate Artists' Futures: Money, Markets and the Digital Domain

About

Timed to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the introduction of the Artist's Resale Right in the UK, DACS continues its series of high profile debates on visual artists in 21st Century. Chaired by Paul Hobson, (Director of the Contemporary Art Society), a distinguished panel of speakers will explore how artists' futures can be sustained and supported at a time of rapid and far reaching economic, social and technological changes. ”¢ What will be the future for artists' earnings when many sources of income are under threat as a result of economic recession and public funding cuts? ”¢ What will be the future of collecting when there are new emerging markets and when the changing nature of artists' practice challenges traditional collecting practices? ”¢ What are the key opportunities and challenges for visual artists in the digital domain? How will developments in the digital space co-exist, compete or compliment the physical visual arts world? The panel: Paul Hobson (Chairman) has been the Director of the Contemporary Art Society since 2007. Paul was the Interim Director of The Showroom gallery, London and for five years, the director of a private foundation supporting new work by emerging artists. His previous positions include Head of Strategy and Development for the Serpentine Gallery and Head of the Royal Academy Trust. Simon Faithfull is a contemporary artist whose practice takes a variety of forms - ranging from video, to digital drawing, installation work and writing. Recent projects include a video work recording the journey of a domestic chair as it is carried to the edge of space. Simon is a lecturer at Slade School of Fine Art. Paul Bennun is a Director of Somethin' Else, a leading cross-platform/digital production company in the UK. Paul holds internationally recognised awards in games, radio, mobile technology and interactive broadcasting. He is a trustee of Artangel and is an artistic collaborator with the likes of several Artangel artists and writer John Berger. Paul also presents science, technology and usability programmes for the BBC. Sonia Boyce is an artist who came to prominence in the early 1980s as a key figure in the burgeoning black British art-scene. Since the 1990s her art practice has taken a more multi-media and socially inclusive approach by bringing people together to comment on history and the present. She is currently an AHRC Research Fellow at Wimbledon College of Art. Klaus Thymann is an award winning photographer and film-maker. His art has been exhibited and published world-wide, and he also works on commercial assignments. Klaus serves on the Board of Directors at DACS. The debate takes place on the fifth anniversary of the introduction of the Artist's Resale Right in the UK which sees artists benefit from a portion of the sale price when there work is resold by an auction house, gallery or art dealer. This new Right, which DACS actively lobbied for on behalf of visual artists, has generated £10 million for artists over the last five years. This Right is due to be extended to artists' families and beneficiaries in 2012. Organised by DACS in partnership with the Contemporary Art Society, this event follows on from ‘The Economy of Art' debate, chaired by Alan Yentob in November 2009, which explored the financial social and cultural value of art.