Chatting to… MTArt
The hashtag says it all — #investinartists is Marine Tanguy’s approach to the industry.
Whilst running an art gallery in LA, Marine Tanguy decided she wanted to break away from the traditional commercial model and take an alternative, more involved approach to running a gallery. Music and film agencies inspired Marine to not just show and deal in art, but be an active part of the artists’ development — be their strategist, help to nurture their talent and guide their career. We visited the team — Marine, Francesca, Fabio and Maria — in their office to find out more.
How did the industry react to this new approach?
‘I think that we disrupted the field by creating something that’s new, and people were initially fearful of what we were saying — it’s not just about art, it’s about the artists.’
‘For someone outside the field this might look very normal, but for someone within, it was very disruptive at the time. Now, however, we collaborate in multiple partnerships across the field.’
Marine was introduced to Collective at a time when she was struggling to pay both rent and salaries — renting office space is often make or break for startups, particularly in London. Marine reflects on creating close relationships at Collective; ‘it’s been great for many things, especially the sense of community. Simon (Collective CEO) was a speaker for MELT a couple of months ago. We feel supported and appreciated.’
What we love about the Collective fam is the passion and commitment each person shows to their projects, and this wasn’t lost on Marine. ‘I think one thing that inspires me is that even at 2am on a Sunday, you will still find people here working hard. There’s a great mix of young and ambitious people here. Being in an environment like that motivates you — but it’s combined with friendliness too.’
The MTArt team recently moved in to one of our subsidised offices. Collective Temperance is a special chapter in our story because not only can we offer free hot desking space, but we have private offices which allow us to continue supporting those that are progressing and growing in size. They continue to be a part of the community, contributing to the pool of skills and offering their experience to their peers. They’ve seen the best of both worlds — ‘We think hot-desking is great when you’re starting out and you want to have that interaction with other startups. Now that we are a bigger team, it makes sense to have our own space.’
‘I loved the hot desking, but being in a private office is like being in our own little bubble.’
So, what about creating a productive environment? When Co-DB and RARA designed the interior of Temperance, creating productive and versatile surroundings was their priority. According to the MTArt team, productivity also depends on a relaxed atmosphere. ‘To work productively we need the space to feel airy, lots of natural light. And to know that people around you are happy in what they are doing — silly things like music, jokes and chocolate from time to time help with that.’
Collective believes that free and subsidised coworking space is key to creating a successful community of businesses that otherwise may not survive London’s rising rent prices. The sector’s contribution to the UK’s economy is expected to reach £217b in 2020, and as a city we should do all we can to retain our startups. The MTArt team believes that more spaces like Collective are needed to nurture these young businesses. ‘I think it’s great that Collective has been able to trust us and the other startups, understanding that we are ‘babies’ I guess! We’re trying to do something that’s young and new, and the support for that has been absolutely massive.’
Following the huge success of MTArt’s MELT festival, the team now have lots of resultant project
s to get stuck in to, and they are picking up the pace. Follow them to keep up to date with new artists, projects and events: @MTArt_
