Introducing Artistellar
Adele Smejkal
is a curator, all-round art entrepreneur, and was a juror for Friend of The Artist’s Volume 11. She is now focusing on a new online project, virtual gallery, Artistellar.
Adele has previously worked for Sotheby’s, co-founded The Art/Choke, Instagram blog @as_artjournal, and is a freelance journalist. Building upon her previous curatorial and business experience, Adele speaks to cultural writer and artist, Alison Poon about the digital future of art, what makes a virtual gallery interactive and finding the perfect mix between a digital and physical arts presence.
INTERVIEW WITH ADELE SMEJKAL
Alison: You have a strong background in the arts with your previous projects of The Art/Choke and @as_artjournal. What do you think was missing from the art world which inspired you to start Artistellar?
Adele: I wouldn’t say that I came up with a revolutionary idea. I knew of platforms and organizations focusing on emerging art and selling online, but they lacked certain elements. For instance, many online market places present their artworks in a grid-like display as if it was any other product, and the artwork description usually contains basic info like the title and dimensions, and that’s it. When I see art, especially online, I want to know the story behind it, and I want to see it displayed as a unique piece of art.
Virtual Installation of Artistellar’s virtual exhibition, Indian Summer
Also, the element of curation is important, and I couldn’t really see it anywhere. I want Artistellar to act as a brick mortar gallery without the physical space; to put together shows on various themes with carefully selected artists, not just align artwork like products next to one another. My motto is quality over quantity.
Alison: As the Covid-19 pandemic has forced artists and creatives to be more ingenious with ways of practicing and showing, how do you think overall attitudes towards gallery alternatives have shifted over the past year?
Adele: There has definitely been a rise in new initiatives and ways how to spread and sell art, but most importantly, I think that there has been a shift in the audience – both viewers and collectors or potential buyers. I think those who were strongly against seeing or even buying art online have slightly shifted their views as at some point as the internet was literally the only place to see art. Secondly, I think new collectors and art enthusiasts have been born. People started to spend more time at home and became more interested in their living environment. We suddenly had more time to think about these things and started rebuilding, redecorating, and buying art. Perhaps we also realized that it’s worth investing in our homes and art, which is something that brings a long-term effect rather than seasonal trends like fashion. And once you buy your first piece of art, you’ve started something.
“When I see art, especially online, I want to know the story behind it, and I want to see it displayed as a unique piece of art.”
Alison: The theme of the launching exhibition, 'Indian Summer' brings wonderful sensory scenes to mind. What was the motivation behind this theme and the artwork selection process?
Adele: I wanted a bit of a universal theme for the first show. I didn’t want to start off with something too strong or too opinionated, so I chose a theme based on the season and highlighted the fact that something as ordinary as a season can play a role in our lives. Especially after the difficult period of spring and the global pandemic. I already had a long list of artists that I wanted to work with, and from that list, I selected the ones whose work was relatable to the theme in a certain way. But a couple of artists decided to make new works exclusively for the show, which was so amazing.
Alison: The Artistellar exhibition space is quite a dynamic space rather than a traditional, open cube shape. What influenced this decision?
Adele: I wanted something, different from what you are used to seeing, but at the same time, it’s still not too edgy. Instead of choosing colorful walls, I went for simple white to let the paintings speak. Instead, I played a bit more with the floorplan do make it dynamic.
Alison: Artistellar aims to help early career artists and collectors beginning on their journey. Could you explain some of the resources that will help with educating buyers?
Adele: There will be several ways: one of the most important streams is social media - Instagram and Facebook. I plan to post engaging and educational content such as videos, interviews, or quizzes. I am also preparing a new blog section for the website, which will focus on art collecting. And lastly, I have pop up events in the pipeline. I want to bring external specialists from the art industry and introduce them to the audience of collectors.
Alison: Virtual spaces have the advantage of removing some of the difficult logistics that can come with large installations and multimedia works. Do you see Artistellar showing a wide variety of artistic disciplines in the future?
Adele: I definitely see Artistellar expanding into different mediums such as photography or sculpture, but I think the future will show what is feasible and what is not. Some artworks, such as light installation, for instance, would be challenging to present online.
Alison: Where do you see Artistellar in relation to physical galleries and the digital future?
Adele: I want Artistellar to establish a strong digital presence and develop the website and virtual features even more. But I do plan to host physical pop up shows in the future and events as I mentioned previously. I am all in for selling art online, but I think with the occasional physical presence, it will be just the right mix. I can reveal that I plan to collaborate with other organizations, businesses, or individuals to incorporate emerging art into our lives in various ways. So there is definitely a lot to look forward to.
