Online galleries inevitable in global art market
TEHRAN. (Iranart) - Art aficionados and people in general these days are too busy with routine tasks and just coping with day-to-day life in many large populated cities where the frantic pace of living leaves scant spare time to spend a few minutes in art galleries enjoying exhibits.
However, with the development of technology, online activities have come along to help art lovers in this regard, providing the chance to visit artworks online by means of online galleries, which are spreading rapidly these days.
With one quick search, one can find great numbers of free online galleries as well as websites offering artworks around the world.
Online galleries are very popular these days around the world. They let visitors buy, sell and browse original arts at any time and any place with ease. It is very exciting for modern art buyers and collectors to be able to move around online, choosing art galleries and picking what they want.
It is also true that online galleries have made the process of buying and selling easier for the artists. Sales can take place directly between the buyers and the artists through the website links and email addresses provided beneath the works.
Graphic designer Yazdan Saadi says he believes online galleries have turned out to be the permanent art market in the world these days and Iran is no exception.
“One cannot deny the [impact of the] sale of artworks carried out by online galleries,” he told Tehran Times about his opinion of online galleries and its pros and cons.
“I believe the greater the number of art galleries that work in Iran, the better it could be. Since an artist can introduce himself/herself throughout the online market more easily and his/her works can be seen more widely, while more works could be sold this way,” he added.
He also said that he thinks the art market must be up-to-date and that artists can have the opportunity to reflect life in their artworks, and online sales can speed up this process these days.
Visual artist Setareh Hosseini also believes that online galleries enjoy a significant position in today’s world where online systems, audio applications and online services are proliferating rapidly.
“Online galleries can provide a better chance to watch, buy and sell artworks with fewer intermediaries,” she said.
“Art lovers can look at a variety of artworks by different artists while sitting at home and relaxing. They can even choose and purchase one,” she remarked.
She added, “The galleries can also provide the visitors with films that document various processes of the creation of artworks, helping visitors get much closer to the world of the artists from a remote and distant place.”
However, she noted, “Looking at an artwork closely and drowning in the details and moments of its creation still has its own beauty and glory.”
Artibition is an Iranian online marketplace. It gives the chance to visitors to check and carefully view and even compare several works by different artists at the same time. It also provides information on any auctions and art sales in advance.
However, it may not be pleasing to all art lovers to seek works on their computers or cell phones.
They cannot get the feel of seeing a real painting with all its details except by standing right in front of them.
A sculpture with all its beautiful rhythm can attract any visitor while standing right in the corner of a gallery, giving moments of joy to an art lover. This may not be the case with an online image.
Being engaged in conversation with other visitors and even the artists themselves and exchanging views can also be an advantage for a real gallery.
However, one must admit that online galleries will probably gradually replace real galleries in the near future as online services grow faster and faster.
It seems that galleries these days need to continue their activities despite the growing technology of modern life, while looking for various ways to bring back life to the art galleries. In this way, visitors can be brought back to the galleries despite the crowded and hectic life of today.
source: Tehran Times