Artists and entrepreneurs: what do they have in common?
By Anya Brochier. Edited by Louisa Mesnard.
This article was originally published by Maddyness as part of their Summer Tribune Series where they ask experts to shine a light on possible futures within business and society.
The art and tech worlds, often perceived as separate, are becoming increasingly intertwined via major art world players (Christie’s Art + Tech Conference) and new platforms (Avant Arte, DALL-E).
The explosion of AI has also raised questions about how to wield a tool that threatens jobs in some creative industries. Against this backdrop, it’s never been a better time to look at what artists and tech entrepreneurs might have in common. Do they share a vision of the world? Do they face the same challenges?
Iteration, Experimentation and Creativity: Putting Passion to Work
When we think of artists, the word creativity is usually the first to pop to mind. Creativity is usually applied to entrepreneurs under the the guise of ‘innovative’. Isn’t all innovation driven by a form of creativity?
When entering last year’s Mark Rothko retrospective at Paris’s Fondation Louis Vuitton, you would be surprised by the first room of the exhibition. Rothko’s early figurative style is a far cry from the monumental abstract works Rothko is famous for. It is only later the visitor sees the beginnings of his turn from figuration to abstraction.
Turning to new forms of painting are a crucial part of any artist’s career. This process of struggling, drafting (MVP for the techies), experimenting, failing and starting over are key skills for both artists and tech entrepreneurs. These transitional works of Rothko are reminders for tech entrepreneurs to continue iterating and pivoting until finding the right fit. Embracing the risk of experimentation can bring breakthroughs.
Tech entrepreneurs and artists are both driven by passion for their work, with a strong focus on the development of their ideas: enter the importance of the support system.
Your Network is your Net Worth
The power of community and support systems is not to be underestimated. While the paths of tech entrepreneurs and artists can be perceived as individual endeavours, both roles are surrounded by ecosystems designed to support evolution.
“Teach artists how to succeed and be completely self-sufficient, treating artists a bit like entrepreneurs.”
Sarah Rossien
In the case of the tech entrepreneur, from incubators and government initiatives to VCs, there is no shortage of communities to tap into. Once backed by VCs, entrepreneurs can tap into the support of both an investor network and a growing platform offering (for example, within Europe, the VC Platform community has grown to over 400 members from over 300 different funds).
The concept of community is a bit different for artists. Artists represented by galleries have their work shepherded by the gallery, including all operational aspects such as marketing and communications. Sarah Rossien, Artist Development Lead at generative art platform, ArtBlocks, explains that ArtBlocks has developed community programming for digital artists that aims to “Teach artists how to succeed and be completely self-sufficient, treating artists a bit like entrepreneurs.”
Through adopting a tech model for community-building for artists, the art world can open up some of the barriers for the estimated over 5 million artists worldwide competing for one of an estimated 70,000 exhibitions per year (Contemporary Art Issue).
Success can be just as elusive for artists as for tech entrepreneurs. The right backing (be it a top-tier VC or a blue-chip gallery) doesn’t always equate to success. Unlike tech entrepreneurs, many famous artists never see success in their lifetime (hi Van Gogh!). Timing, as always, is key.
