Don't Give Away Too Much Information. The best way to write an art description is to use words that will intrigue potential buyers. Use adjectives to describe the subject matter, and avoid using technical terms. If you're selling a painting, try to keep the description short and sweet. You don't need to go into detail about the materials used or the techniques employed by the artist. Instead, focus on describing the piece's style and mood. Use accessible language and avoid using over-sophisticated concepts or art professionals' specific jargon. Be cautious not to fall into the opposite extreme and create a basic description, “art for dummies” style. After all, the art enthusiasts and collectors are a highly educated public. Take advantage of free marketing tools. Most of art collectors research and buy art online in the post-pandemic world. Using search engine marketing is possibly one of the most effective marketing tools. Begin drafting your art description by listing keywords and phrases relevant to your art and that people might use when searching for art. Spread them across your entire text and make sure your final description makes sense. Do not go overboard and abuse this tool. Do not repeat the keyword more than twice in the entire text. Exceeding this limit could cause the text to be flagged for keyword-stuffing and could affect Google rankings. Keep it brief. At Rtistiq, we recommend your art descriptions to be between 200-500 characters. In an ever-accelerating world, like the one we live in, the attention span is surprisingly short. We all look for relevant information in the shortest amount of time. You can always follow the example of the world-renown art museums that are reinventing their exhibition labels, for example, they offer a potential interpretation and historical context for abstract artists and their body of work. Many institutions are now considering a more socially and culturally diverse audience that is likely to return if not bored, overwhelmed, or confused. Do not write a description for the sake of writing one. Avoid repeating your bio or the information related to physical aspects such as size, orientation or packaging and delivery. This information is collected separately. During the upload process, you will be asked to fill in all this information one by one. Engage with your audience. Your story and your art are unique, make yourself heard. Art collectors are looking not only to expand their art collection but also to get insights or access to the untold story of an attractive piece of art. This is a great opportunity to communicate directly to your audience without being mediated by a curator. It might sound scary, but we encourage you to take the plunge and tell the story in your own words, it will make you stand out from the rest of the original artwork for sale online. Highlighting specific details in your art, special techniques, or placing a particular work in a larger context of your career will make your art description enticing. To answer your question “where to start?”, we’ve put together a set of questions that could serve as a guideline for an engaging and relevant artwork description: ● What inspired you to create this artwork? ● What is the message you want to convey in this particular artwork? ● What meaning do you attach to it? ● How does this artwork fit in with the rest of your artistic portfolio? ● What kind of techniques did you use? ● Has this artwork been part of an exhibition or referred to in a publication? And finally, leave a little room for mystery. Don’t give it all, let your audience want for more. RtistiQ artmarketplace offers you the opportunity to showcase your art in a way that suits your vision. You can always take advantage of the rest of the tools to organize your portfolio under series so that all visitors can enjoy and appreciate your creation, and ultimately be the decisive argument that converts a “like” into “I have to have it”.

RtistiQ

08 Jul 2022

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With a rapid transition from brick-to-mortar galleries to digital art marketplaces, many artists face almost every day the challenge of digitizing their art. The art buyers are now online, on social media platforms, and on specialized curated art platforms. To help artists bring their art into the digital realm, in the best possible way, we’ve put together a guide on how to photograph your artworks by using a device that is already in your pocket, your mobile phone. Since many art buyers are not able to experience your art in person, they rely solely on images provided by the artist. Taking good pictures of your works of art will enable the buyer to appreciate your art and make their purchase decisions. At RtistiQ, we accept images up to 30MB (we recommend up to 10MB for faster response) and at least 1920x1080 pixels, JPEG/JPG/PNG files for any potential buyer to have a detailed view of the Artwork. A Full HD has an image pixel count that equates to only 2MP and for a 4K display, it bumps to 8MP. Just about every phone that isn't a pure budget handset is likely to shoot 8MP - iPhone 6 & above / Samsung Galaxy S2 & above. So you are usually set with the Mobile Phone's rear camera to take acceptable-resolution images. Below are some of the photographing tips when using your mobile phone: Choose the right lighting Lighting is one of the most important aspects of photographing your artwork. It affects everything from exposure to color balance. So, before you take a picture, make sure you understand how light works. Take advantage of natural light. Use natural light/daylight, most smartphones handle natural light much better than artificial light. Make sure you position them in front of a window or other source of bright light. Shoot with the sun behind you. If you're shooting indoors, use natural light as much as possible. This will give you the most flattering lighting. If you're outside, avoid direct light onto the artworks. Adjust your position to avoid casting a shadow by not stand between the light source and the Artwork. Manging color gradients If you notice color gradients in your pictures (the part of the artwork closest to the light source might be lighter than the rest), use a simple piece of white paper to bounce off the light on the darker part of your artwork. You might need a second pair of hands for this operation. Positioning your Mobile Phone for best results Hold your phone parallel to your artwork to avoid distortion. Be extra careful with the framing. Move your phone slowly until the sides of your canvas are parallel with the edge of the screen. Leave as little as possible space around your canvas, this will help achieve the best resolution. Hold the phone still. If you plan to upload many artworks it might be worth purchasing a tripod. Tap the best part of the Image When you get the best image on the screen, just tap it, this will help with exposure and the sharpness of your image. Avoid Zooming in too much for better Resolution Move yourself closer to the Artwork rather than zooming in too much using your mobile phones. Most phones support digital zooming only, which reduces the image resolution and will not give the best results. Basic Editing using your phone Almost all smartphones support basic editing of the pictures taken, which should enough without spending on image editing softwares. If the image is not straight, you can slightly rotate it or crop the edges, if required. Job done! You are now ready to upload your art. External Links Additional link references for you to get further details on your Camera and other tips from Pro Photographers, which we found to be interesting. Phone Camera Resolution 10 Tips From the Pro Photographers Contact US You may reach our curatorial team by writing to curators@rtistiq.com or visit our Contact Us page to drop us a message. For additoonal support articles on registration and other queries visit our Help Center for Artists. To register as an artist on the platform please follow the link for registration on Rtistiq now!

RtistiQ

30 Jun 2022

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An interview with artists Aude Rech and Lynne Godina It is that time of the year again when we can let ourselves look forward to the coming year and hope for a new beginning, despite the past year being so outlandish. RtistiQ wishes you happy holidays. The art market trends are constantly in flux with the current pandemic. As businesses try to return to normalcy after a tough year, demand for art is bound to increase, though the reason could also be the fact that people have become hopeful with the arrival of vaccines in the market. As more art lovers look to buy art online, RtistiQ interviewed two of the prominent artists featured on our website to ask them what they would do to increase sales during the holiday season. Introduction to the Artists: Aude Rech was born in an artistic family with an art gallery owner mother and a well-known ceramist father. She believes she is lucky to have art in her genes. She studied at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Nice and at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts de Paris where her teachers and mentors were Debré, Alechinsky and Cueco. Aude has been working as a virtual artist for the past 40 years, and she currently works from a studio in the south of France. She has been exhibiting her work in Paris, Berlin, San Francisco and New York and her work is featured in a few private collections. Aude believes her art is a personal journey in terra incognita, full of surprises and discoveries. In her words – “I feel like a director casting a play that I rewrite every day. Art is the only thing that elevates me, giving me the feeling of being positively alive. I depict the world, my world, the forces at play in most live forms. For me it is all a question of energy balance and colors!” Lynne Godina Maybe a new er name in the art scene, but within 2 years, she has had her first solo exhibition and has been a part of three group exhibitions. Her solo exhibition featured over 60 original pieces and she also has to her credit, 50 pieces in private and corporate collections around Australia. Lynne got a breakthrough in international art sale when she sold her art to a private collection in Milan, Italy late 2019. Lynne likes to use a lot of texture and heavy collection of paints in her paintings. She primarily uses stretched canvas, although she has also dabbled in glass framed works. Additionally, she has started using hardboard bases. See below the interview with our featured artists Aude and Lynne. Interview: Read on to find the detailed responses of Aude and Lynne for our questions surrounding their art styles, their motivation, their career paths, challenges and their experience with our platform. You will also find some motivation and some good advice in their responses. Q - How has the art market scenario changed over the past decade? Aude – Over the past decade, the art market has evolved strongly due to the implementation of numerous online platforms dedicated to sell and promote art.Social media have been playing a major role in the exchange of information regarding all matters related to art. Networking, promoting, selling, exhibiting has been so mucheasier than it used to be. Having a worldwide vision of the art world in real-time is now possible. Lynne - The online gallery presence has surged in the past decade. Globally there are hundreds of online sites and platforms to promote your art. Some are better and more professional than others and have been around for a longer time, others are smaller boutique galleries that focus on a closer relationship with the individual artist. There is something for every level of artist to be able to display and promote their art. As you get a higher profile, galleries will come to you, but at the start being part of just one gallery can be very exciting and proactive in getting your works out there. Obviously Covid-19 has had a huge impact on exhibitions and bricks and mortar galleries. Depending on where in the world you live, lockdowns and restrictions vary. Here in Australia we are now very lucky to be able to go out and have large groups again and the galleries and venues are reopening, so I am looking forward to exhibiting and having people come to visit my studio/gallery again in 2021. Q - What are some of the challenges that you faced in your art career? How did you overcome them? Aude - One of the biggest challenges that I have faced in my art career is to be in touch with my personal creativity and to be aware at the same time of my surroundings in time and space, keeping in perspective of where we stand in the history of Art. To create is to give someone the ability to see a piece of the world through someone else’s mind at a certain time and place. You are becoming a witness to our society. In order to feel connected, you need to be able to feel the energy that surrounds you and to harvest it. This is a challenge, practicing self-awareness helps achieve this state of mind. Lynne – The major challenge is to get your art seen. That takes a lot of hours and persistence, it is a fulltime job. I have always said the painting and creating the art is the easy part, it’s the backend that takes time and commitment. I am not very good with social media, but I have to push myself to be consistent with uploading and continually showing what is happening with my art, sales, commissioned works and within my studio. Q - How do you think technology has helped to boost art sales? Aude – In my own experience and especially during this Covid period I have been able to use a virtual environment to showcase my work therefore I have generated some sales. At the moment the use of technology helps me to identify potential art galleries, curators, or art collectors with whom I can start conversations with no time or space barrier. It is quite incredible to be able to reach art connoisseurs worldwide in that manner. Lynne – Everything has gotten faster and sleeker in the last decade. Computers are now so much quicker and more reliable to upload and be part of the web to search and keep in contact with the world. When I first started uploading my art I bought a very expensive Nikon camera with all the best lenses to capture professional shots, now I use my iphone. The cameras within the phones have just been getting better and better with each new version and it is so simple to edit and then connect to the computer and upload. Q - Which feature of RtistiQ do you find the most interesting? And why? Aude – The RtistiQ features I enjoy the most are the blockchain certification, the digital certificate, secure transaction, and shipment methods. The reason why I do enjoy those features is that they gave the potential collector a sense of being secure and it shows a very professional environment. As an artist to know that I can trace my art after it being sold is amazing. It offers many new possibilities, keeping track of its sales record, its location, and ownership. Having these pieces of information can help an artist generating broader interest in his work. As well I came to enjoy the sense of community and the ease of building an online portfolio. I can not wait for the platform to shape up with more artists and to see what we could organize together. Lynne – Since joining the RtistiQ website I have enjoyed finding so many interesting artists from every corner of the world. To be able to go into their galleries and see the amazing quality and diversity of art is something that gives me great pleasure and boundless inspiration. Q - How is RtistiQ different from other sites that you have used? Aude - I have had a better experience with RtistiQ, I found it more engaging I like its design and its simplicity and professionalism. Lynne – Because RtistiQ is a fledgling gallery the one on one interaction with me as an artist is refreshing and new. I feel that the team are really interested and willing to promote my art and find out what and who I am as an artist. Q - What are the prospects the holiday season brings in for art sales? Aude – It is difficult to say, but more potential buyers are going to browse the net in the research of a unique gift. The seasonal aspect is interesting and can generate great opportunities to have someone discover your work, start collecting or simply to enjoy offering a very original, interesting, meaningful gift. Lynne – Traditionally the lead up to Christmas is fairly slow as people are more concerned with celebrations with their families, friends and work colleagues. Money is being spent on gifts, but a piece of art is a very personal purchase and normally people wouldn’t look at making a large decision like that as a surprise. Things get busy in the New Year when people have been given money to ‘buy themselves something they want’ and think about that artwork or sculpture they have been eyeing all year. Q - Could you give an insight into the marketing strategies you use during this season? Aude – I will not use a specific marketing strategy during the holiday season, but I will definitely communicate more and will bring people to the site so that they can discover my newest work and enjoy the RtistiQ key features. Lynne – I have a sale on my website for the first two weeks to see in the New Year. Also, I offer a gift certificate on my site to give to loved ones to prompt them to buy a piece from my gallery. I make sure to keep painting and upload as many new artworks as I can to keep a high presence on all the sites. Q -Your advice to budding artists to promote their artwork this gifting season. Aude - As an artist, I would advise anyone to help potential collectors, either by having a set of work that is financially accessible to be offered as a gift or being an incentive to start maybe a new relationship with collecting a new artist. Lynne - The main thing is to upload, upload, upload. To the online galleries and platforms, you are on, to your own websites if you have them and of course, as much content on social media as you can physically do every day. My aim is to upload at least twice a day, even if it’s giving earlier pieces another upload to refresh people's memory and get them looking at the newer creations. ******** Aude and Lynne are impressed with RtistIQ’s way of working and the diverse art collection. If you are an art enthusiast, browse through our online art gallery to find something you like. Explore all arts for sale which are perfect as a gift for yourself or your loved ones to mark the beginning of a better year. If you are an artist, contact us to showcase your art on our website and use our unique features to reach a larger audience. RtistiQ wishes you all A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ! Author: Manisha Bhati

RtistiQ

24 Dec 2020

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The past decade has seen a considerable shift towards the use of technology in everyday life; it is unlike the 80’s and 90’s when only the rich and the affluent could afford using technology. From being a luxury, technology has become a necessity. With the millennial population on the rise the number of tech savvy youth in the world has increased at a stupendous rate. Entrepreneurs are finding tech based solutions to every challenge in the society, be it for basic entities or for leisure items and services. There has been a massive e-commerce boom. Post the success of players like Ebay and Amazon, the e-commerce sector has seen massive growth. Along with the tilt towards tech based solutions another Global Event has scoured our world, the COVID 19 Pandemic. This pandemic has shown the potential of remote access enterprises where person to person interface and contact is not necessary. In the light of this pandemic the sector which has stood the test of time is the e-commerce sector. The entire world’s population being in a lock-down situation is dependent on the e-commerce sector to deliver all the needs to their doorstep. The e-commerce sector has taken up this calamity as an opportunity and it is adapting to the current economic needs rapidly. In the beginning it was the basic necessities sector that turned to e-commerce as the consumer today prefers delegating that task to the computer so that he/she can focus on other important things. Later as the sector matured and even luxury goods and services started adopting tech based solutions to grow. Fine Art, which has traditionally been an Auction, Gallery or Exhibition driven sector, has shown some signs of adapting e-commerce and tech based solutions is the art sector. Artists benefit a great deal by selling Art online through e-commerce platforms. They don’t have to invest large sums of capital and effort to put up exhibitions for the sale of their artwork. Usually budding artists mainly rely on word of mouth to make a sale. The online platforms offer a fair arena for established and budding talent in the art industry. Artists may also have to incur marketing costs, maintain inventory and bear courier costs. These platforms provide a “one stop solution” for all these challenges. They have made it all very economical and smooth for the Artists, which in a way encourages them to sign their Art Works up on such e-commerce platforms. To help the users navigate successfully through their websites and platforms, the e-commerce art companies and galleries have employed the use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning where if the Buyer likes a particular genre of Art Work he/she will be offered various options to consider from the same genre. This way the user experience is customized and individualized based on the Buyers’ interests and tastes. Further to make the customers’ experience more realistic, the platforms have also adopted Augmented and Virtual Reality with In – Room View in their apps and platforms where the customer can see how a particular Art Work would look in their living space and the real world setting. This helps the customer to narrow down his options and take a decision on which Art Work they would want to purchase.Furthermore with recent advancement in digital technology, online e-commerce and marketplaces are able to offer a transparent, authentic and hassle free exchange of high quality Art Works from the Artist to the Buyer. An advantage about adopting technology is that a lot of new solutions have come up which have made the process a lot smoother and fool proof. Like the use of NFC Tags which store a digital footprint of the artwork, thereby ensuring authenticity and duplication of the art work is rendered impossible. A few e-commerce platforms have adopted Block Chain technology which tracks the provenance of the art work. While buying Art Work online the buyer has the satisfaction of buying authentic artwork. Block chain helps to keep track of the creator and the change in ownership of the artwork after every change of hands.Lastly, apart from the above mentioned innovations, the online art sector creates a common platform for Artists, Customers, Scholars, Institutions and other stakeholders all over the world to interact and collaborate with each other. To sum up, what platforms like RtistiQ are achieving was just a dream for the erstwhile Art Enthusiasts. Through this platform artists and buyers can interact with each irrespective of their geographical boundaries. Imagine a painting of a Japanese artist adorning a living room in Mexico. Regional, national and international Art forms will interact with each other and eventually a number of new Art forms will evolve which will be Global in nature. Imagine Kalamkari Art on Catholic wedding gowns. That’s something that will be possible as art forms are recognized globally and join the main stream. Author: Kush Dhebar

RtistiQ

26 Nov 2020

5 min to read

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The short answer is yes, you can be a full-time artist, but the path to achieving that goal can be difficult and uncertain. There is no single blueprint for success, and the journey often involves a great deal of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. In this article, we will explore some of the factors that can determine whether or not someone can become a full-time artist. Your journey is similar to many other talented artists who are excellent at what they do but are constrained to turn it into a profitable business or a career. If you are battling with these questions in today's world, you are already in a better position than someone, say, even just five years ago. Today, our world is smaller than it has been in terms of distances, yet more enormous than ever before regarding how much information is exchanged between various parts of the world. Overview Of The Art Market The art market has shown steady growth over the past few years, at an average of about 5%. According to the mid-year report published for 2020 by UBS and Art Basel, online art sales were over 37% of the total art sales made in the first half of the year, and this trend will continue beyond the pandemic situation. As per a report published by Hiscox, out of this approximate 64 billion U.S. dollars market, the online market for artwork is currently valued at 4.82 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of around 4% from 2018 and by more than 10% from 2017. Areas to consider Develop your skills. The first step to becoming a full-time artist is to develop your skills. This means practicing regularly and learning new techniques. You can also take classes or workshops to improve your skills. Create a strong portfolio. A strong portfolio is essential for any artist who wants to make a living from their work. Your portfolio should showcase your best work and demonstrate your range as an artist. Networking with other artists. Networking with other artists is a great way to get your work seen by more people. You can attend art shows, join art groups, or simply connect with other artists online via social media or other collaboration channels Market your work. Once you have a strong portfolio, you need to start marketing your work. This can be done through online platforms, social media, or even word-of-mouth. With more online platforms available now, having a presence across different region helps to promote your work better. Be patient. It takes time to build a successful art career. Don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately. Just keep creating great art and marketing your work, and eventually you will start to see success. Becoming a full-time artist is a challenging but rewarding journey. Having said that given the advent of social-media and with trust building up through Online medium, it has become lot more easier than earlier days to reach out to more art lovers and promote your works beyond the regional limits. Selling Art Online A few years ago, finding a gallery or an agent to work with a new artist would have been brutal. There was little exposure to social media and few e-commerce platforms to sell any commodity. But with the fast-paced enhancement in digital technology, increased interactions on social media, and a reach of about 4.5 billion internet users, selling art online for a living does not seem a far-fetched dream anymore. Many factors have contributed to increasing opportunities to sell your artwork online in today's world. The demand has increased over the past five years owing to rising income and interest among middle-class consumers. Gone are the days when only a few neighborhood art galleries arranged for an art exhibition once in a few weeks. Every exhibition caters to only a niche audience as it is a themed show or by one or a handful of artists. On top of that, since the art galleries catered to known artists, the products sold by them were quite expensive for a middle-class art collector to buy. The situation was impossible for a budding artist because almost no gallery could showcase an unknown name. The Benefits There are no obstacles and no rules to sell your work online. However, the internet has provided an opportunity to buyers across the globe to find art for their unique taste, which is available in many forms, many price brackets, and available anytime. For a new artist, this is a blessing. They can target their niche collectors or sell products across diverse markets. You may want to sell various types of artwork, from paintings to sketches to crafts to sculptures. You may want to sell to multiple target groups across all age groups living in different countries. You may want to take orders and customize your art to your customer's unique tastes. All this and more is possible in the contemporary world. There are no restrictions on an artist and none on the art enthusiast. What RtistiQ Can Do For You The best part of being an artist in this modern world is how technology works in your favor. RtistiQ is one platform that provides the best technology to enhance your experience as an artist. You can focus on your creativity and leave the sales to those who are experts in selling. RtistiQ is not any other e-commerce website. We want to connect artists to connoisseurs, artwork to collectors, and payments to sellers. We provide an end-to-end service to collect your art and deliver it to its destination. RtistiQ has many advantages, including easy to use platform, secure transactions, the best representation of your artwork using advanced technology, global outreach, and interactive and worry-free service. Giving Your Art A Virtual Flair Selling art online is all about imaging. RtistiQ has that covered for you. We offer an enhanced view of your artwork to the minutest details. The buyer can easily view the artwork on their preferred premises. Our platform would allow them to have an in-room experience with the artwork. This is achieved by using Augmented Reality (AR). AR technology enables you to translate your virtual experience into a real one. In the art world, this is used to let buyers' try' the artwork in their living room. This is much like how you try different hair colors or spectacles using apps. Similarly, collectors can use their mobile phones to view artwork and place it in their room before they buy it online. The system also makes suggestions of artworks to the collectors based on their interests, which are identified using machine learning algorithms by analyzing their search and purchase history. When the buyers get an enhanced buying experience with a platform, they tend to use it more often to make their purchases. This is why platforms like RtistiQ work in favor of the artists selling their art online. Hassle-Free Delivery And Easy Tracking RtistiQ also provides the service of picking up your artwork from your doorstep and delivering it safely to your customer. During the journey, the artwork can be tracked by both the seller and buyer. Expand Your Reach Also, as an artist, you do not have to sell your art through different channels, and you do not have to register on various social media platforms to promote your art. This is included in services offered by RtistiQ through social media integration to manage the promotion of all artists and artwork on various social media platforms. This allows the artist to manage their art through a single source yet take advantage of multiple channels for marketing. Your One-Stop Platform Above all, RtistiQ provides safe and secure payment options. Your needs as an artist are – an enhanced buying experience for your customers, safe and secure payments, hassle-free shipment, and broader reach for marketing. All of this is available through a single platform to you. There couldn't be a better time to take that plunge to be a full-time artist! Why are you still thinking? To learn more about Selling art on RtistiQ, follow the Link

RTISTIQ TEAM

26 Nov 2020

5 min to read

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The year 2020 has been unexpected, and not in a good way. Most economies in the world are struggling with the double impact of strain on their healthcare systems and losses in businesses across the globe. We are living through one of the worst times in past few decades. But there is a silver lining to all this. We have spent much more time with our loved ones, we have learned to appreciate idling away, and some of us have also recommenced our hobbies. Since people have been spending more time online, eCommerce has flourished in this difficult time. This year, the growth in eCommerceindustry has been double than that in 2019. With many places under lockdown and most people scared to venture outside in this pandemic-stricken world, one way to shop for all goods – essentials or non-essentials, is online. An interesting trend has been a direct result of people spending a lot of time at home – desire to decorate their homes. Combine all the above, and online art marketplaces have started to enjoy a surge that would have probably taken a couple more years otherwise. Art galleries and museums have started doing ‘virtual tours’ for their patrons. Art supplies are available easily online, and so is art. My children’s art teachers asked them to “visit” the most famous art galleries in Europe as part of their e-learning activities! This kind of experiences are rarely sought or available for most people. But, as people look for more avenues to entertain themselves, rather than just watch TV, opening art museums and galleries for virtual tours has brought more awareness and interest amongst a wider global audience. However, increased access to a global customer base may not necessarily imply increase in demand for art. Most people who attend these virtual tours may just be passing by. Many of them are there out of curiosity rather than specific interest in art. Such visitors simply meander through these virtual tours with little interest to engage. Nonetheless, this lack of interest could simply be because of lack of embracing technology to provide an enhanced experience by these art galleries and museums because they are not targeting selling their prized artwork online. On the other hand, some art ecommerce platforms embraced digital advancements, and started providing a superior experience to their customers through use of modern technology like Augmented Reality, AR. Those who have succeeded to engage more with their customer base have also focused on offering a seamless buying service as well. This is a terrific news for those considering selling their artwork online through artist-friendly platforms like RtistiQ. Promoting art in Covid-19 era has been easier owing to another factor viz. technology. Owing to this unique situation, digital technology has evolved quicker than ever before. On top of that, adoption of digitization has been quicker amongst those who have access. Online art marketplace became an inadvertent beneficiary of these advancements. For example, London based art gallery ‘Artfinder’ reported a surge of more than 100% in weeks following lockdown, selling an artwork every 12 minutes. Read our guide on Selling Art Online Though it is believed that the surge in purchase of artwork could mean more than just a desire to redecorate their homes. Famed neurobiologist and father of neurobiologist at the University of London, Semir Zeki, discovered that viewing art gives the same pleasure as falling in love. Government’s Role in the Recovery Process Various governments across the globe have also realized that culture and arts play an important role in not only well-being of an individual, but also of interactions within and between societies. Hong kong With tourism shutdown during pandemic, many countries have seen support from governments to jumpstart the recovery process of arts and culture. For example, in Hong Kong, the government’s Anti-Epidemic Fund has allocated around $20 million through the Home Affairs Bureau to support the arts sector. Singapore Singapore launched an extensive support scheme for the arts and culture sector, including wage support, training support, workforce special payments, and financing for digitalizing arts and cultural resources where possible. In Croatia, the Ministry of Culture is supporting independent artists who have lost income due to COVID-19. South Africa In South Africa, the National Arts Council (NAC) will continue paying artists who had been confirmed for activities with Council support which have now been disrupted by the pandemic. UNESCO UNESCO has been monitoring the scale of disruption to the cultural sector and published weekly ‘Culture and COVID19: Impact and Response Tracker’ with an intention of sharing research and experiences around the world. Their special issue published in July 2020 gave insights into UNESCO’s efforts to ensure culture has a central role in public policies for sustainable development. The issue described in detail what steps many countries from Asia to Africa to Europe to America have taken to promote arts and culture during Covid-19 crisis as well as their plans for their continued efforts beyond this pandemic. Norway In Norway, the Minister of Culture announced NOK 100 million (USD 10,6 million) to ensure that writers can continue their artistic work. Italy Italy started a system of vouchers for reimbursement or replacement of cinema, museum, theatre and concert tickets already sold. Kenya In Kenya, the government created a fund of KES200 million (US$1.9m) per month to give artists a minimum wage. Conclusion On one side we see that there is a noticeable bloom in demand for artwork online, and there are several platforms like RtistiQ that are helping artists to get closer to buyers, while on the other side, many countries have started initiatives to help further growth in the art sector. For those who are looking to become full-time artists, these are good signs that the contemporary world recognizes importance of art in relieving stress, combating depression, and supporting financial growth of an economy. We need art now more than ever and countries across the world should continue promoting art post-Covid-19 for a sustainable culture and society. Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher, and cultural critic rightly said, “art exists so that reality does not destroy us”. Author: Manisha Bhati

RTISTIQ TEAM

26 Nov 2020

5 min to read

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