The Art World as a huge validation mechanism
It looks that the main goal of the artists is to acquire an intangible asset, something that is seeded in the mind of thousands or millions of people who conform to the art world. This asset is so-called fame, prestige, or recognition. I said, “it looks” because there are artists who are really looking for this asset-building, increasing their networking, participating in art contests, and others that “it looks” like they don’t care what is happening outside (art world and art market), focused just in the production of their work, but what is true is that “it looks” like nobody from the art world is excent of being influenced by this asset.
It is a conflict that lives in the soul of an artist for the rest of their lives, between making an honest and congruent work with their heart and soul, and what it should be sellable and likable for curators, social media, and art collectors among other entities. Should the artists make more for their name and money, than for what there is more coherent with his/her purpose?
I have always thought that all artwork is political, why? Because as well politicians search for votes to win, artists and artworks search for the approval of the art world participants, (votes) in form of being validated as something “good” and “worthy”. Until now I haven’t known an artist who is constantly fighting to climb a rung of the ladder of fame and prestige, maybe sometimes they take a break, and others surrender getting out of the “game”. Is the art world a “fame game”?
So, in the current art world system, the most valuated artists are the ones who are approved by the most prestige or famous figures of the art world. And this is the paradigm that rules in our social unconscious, the artist who is shown in the most famous museums, selected by the most famous curators, and collected by the most famous collector, is the “most successful”, the most appreciated, and the most valuated.
For an artist could take years, blood, and tears to get only one validation of a “high-level” figure. But thinking outside of the box, let me present you here a way to be validated by high-end figures without so much effort and without consuming so much time and money. This is our newest project at the ODBK called “Artist’s work quality certification by experts in art”.
In ODBK we have created a system to bridge the gap between artists and experts in art (curator, gallery owner, art collector, art critic, etc.). Top experts in the art world can use the ODBK endorsement mechanism to create an Artist’s Work quality certification. The certification can be used by experts in art to validate and reference the high quality of the work of an artist. Artists can use the certification in their CV as a probe of validation by an expert in art, as well would work being selected by a curator for a show or appearing in a magazine by an art critic. ODBK plays the role of endorsement of the certification made by the expert in art.
