Page 26 - AC-2-1

Arts & Communication Contemporary art from the Global South

estimated value of $250,000, at “The Now” Evening Auction earlier in this paper. The four galleries supporting the
at Sotheby’s New York in November 2021, following her largest number of artists from our list are Ross Sutton
“Art Now” solo show at Tate Britain in 2018. Migrating to Gallery, Gallery 1957, Perrotin, and Stephen Friedman
major art hubs, whether temporarily or permanently, is a Gallery. These four galleries distinguish themselves from
strategic move for artists from the Global South to rapidly others thanks to their niche specialization and branding.
build their reputation and increase the value of their Ross Sutton Gallery, located in New York, specializes in
paintings. This approach has proven to be particularly exhibiting artworks by artists from the African Diaspora.
fruitful for women from the Global South seeking career The gallery is curated and managed by Destinee Ross-
opportunities abroad.
Sutton, a young international art curator, advisor, gallerist,
3.2. Analysis of stakeholders (network effect) artist manager, and advocate based in New York. She has
cocurated international group exhibitions at renowned
From our database, 438 stakeholders were involved in institutions at the Museum of Contemporary African
the promotion of our sample of artists. In the following
sections, we will examine the strategies of the top leaders Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) and CFHILL in Stockholm,
Sweden, as well as Christie’s “SAY IT LOUD (I’m Black
in each category to highlight their tools and marketing and I’m Proud),” a virtual selling exhibition dedicated
strategies for making these artists successful in the global to the promotion and empowerment of Black art.
market.
Independently, she advises several private institutions,
3.2.1. Art galleries international collectors, and organizations on acquisitions,
particularly within the African Diaspora. In addition
Contemporary art galleries are known for their constant to featuring works by talented artists, the gallery also
pursuit of new talent that can yield profitable sales for both
private and public collections. Even in a decentralized provides resources on responsible art collecting. The
global art market, the approach to marketing new #BlackVoicesFriendofMyMind initiative, launched by the
artworks remains consistent: Galleries continue to focus Ross Sutton Gallery, is aimed at protecting and supporting
on a small group of artists, aiming to integrate them into the work of Black artists in the wake of the Black Lives
the “taste-making machine of the art world .” As stated Matter movement in the US. For decades, the American art
5
by Noah Horowitz, art galleries serve as the “glue” of world paid little attention to this group of artists, excluding
this superstructure, filtering artists from the masses and them from both the museum circuit and the market.
investing time and capital in facilitating their connections However, since the pandemic, the discourse and perception
6
with both public and targeted curators and collectors . of these artists have undergone a complete transformation.
Komarova and Velthuis have established that art dealers They are now in the spotlight and commanding record
are central players in the expansion of the art market in prices at auction houses. The Ross Sutton Gallery is
the Global South , and Amanda Brandellero has explored committed to securing the long-term success of its artists
31
this concept in depth in relation to dealers in Brazil . by ensuring their inclusion in public institutions and
32
Depending on the gallery’s specialization, they may focus avoiding any speculative bubbles that could negatively
on young and emerging artists, established ones, or estates. impact their careers. Established in 2020, it could be said
Some galleries may also specialize in representing artists that the Ross Sutton Gallery has embraced the African-
from a particular country or region, while others embrace American cultural revolution. One notable aspect of Ross
the diversity of origins. These galleries may have multiple Sutton Gallery’s branding strategy is the unique format of
locations across different cities or countries and could have its website. Unlike traditional gallery websites, it adopts
been established decades ago or more recently during the an Instagram-style format that prioritizes images and
pandemic. As observed by Olav Velthuis, art galleries have articles. This innovative branding strategy is particularly
significantly contributed to the commercialization of the noteworthy because it reflects an alternative approach to
art world in recent years. They are recognized for their branding contemporary art galleries. By breaking away
more aggressive approach to marketing their artist’s work from conventional marketing techniques, the gallery sets
and their attempts to “monopolize the art market” on a itself apart and demonstrates its commitment to promoting
global scale . voices in the art world that were formally marginalized.
5
From our analysis of exhibitions, we identified Gallery 1957, with locations in Ghana and London, is
certain art galleries that had been specifically successful dedicated to promoting West African artists on a global
in embracing new cultural and market trends in their scale. As indicated on its website, this gallery attempts
promotion of African and Global South artists, reflecting to “bridge the gap between local and international
the changing demographics of the art worlds as mentioned audiences.” In addition to gallery exhibitions, they have

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 10 https://doi.org/10.36922/ac.1608