By Ekemelu Nnoli
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PALMWINE WOMEN: A REVISIT OF THE SUNSHINE PERIOD (1960 - 70), By BRUCE ONOBRAKPEYA |
It is
quite heart-wrenching to see how the effects of a poverty mindset on the one
hand and greed on the other are negatively impacting an otherwise promising and
vibrant art industry in Nigeria.
I
confess that I am relatively new to the art business and hence can probably
afford myself a fresher look at things or perhaps take a more revolutionary
approach to the subject matter than others that have been on the scene for
longer and have possibly gotten accustomed to and accepted the status quo.
Firstly, let me highlight who, in my opinion, can be referred to as the major players along the Art value-chain. From my perspective, the major players along the Art Value-chain are who are: The Artist, the gallery owner, the curator and the collector/art enthusiast.
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| By Emmah Mbanefo |
For example,
if you were to compare this value-chain to a Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG),
or any other regular commercial value-chain, the Artist would be the Manufacturer, the gallery owner and curator would be the Distributor/Retailer, while the
collector/art enthusiast would be the End consumer. Along the regular
commercial value chain, there is a strict code of conduct amongst the players to
ensure a win-win for everyone and a level playing field that aims to ensure
optimum satisfaction for all players. This is further secured by duly signed
legal agreements protecting all parties. If, for any reason, the Manufacturer
decides it must play at the retail level, then of course, Recommended Retail Prices must be strictly adhered to. A manufacturer wanted to
play in the mix at the retail level, which can be to enable them to conduct surveys,
research, and observe consumer patterns up close and more effectively. It might
not be very distributor/retailer friendly, but it works if the manufacturer
adheres to certain rules of engagement that protect the interests of its
distributors/retailers. It would be, for example, counterproductive if the
Manufacturer were to use its might to offer a pricing strategy that is below
its set Recommended Retail Price (RRP). If the Manufacturer does retail
directly and below the RRP, then it would be jeopardising the businesses of its
distributors/retailers and risking putting them out of business, which actually
would not be in their best interest and would defeat the whole essence of
having a distributorship network in the first place.
As we
had previously broken down the Art value chain, let me begin to explain in
detail why I chose to bring this issue to light. One might naturally think that
as a gallery owner my opinion on the matter could be considered biased and I
don’t really blame anyone for feeling or thinking so, but by the time I sink my
teeth further into this matter, I strongly believe I would have made enough
sense that would motivate artists, gallery owners and perhaps even collectors to
get back to the drawing board to reconsider their current strategies on how
they conduct their affairs.
From
the little experience I have gathered thus far, in theory, the status quo seems
to be as follows: The artist exhibits his works at a gallery and leverages the
gallery’s networks of collectors and ambience to showcase his works to the
world. The artist’s works are sold and the artist gets paid an agreed sum for
each painting sold.
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| By Tola Wewe |
It
would be lovely if, in practice, things usually went as smoothly as this. Unfortunately,
things are not always as smooth as that. In some cases, the artists unfairly
get shortchanged by the gallery owner, and trust issues begin to arise. Some
collectors, on the other hand, take advantage of this and try to boycott the
gallery owner and seek out the artists to make purchases directly from the
artists at a fraction of the cost. This happens around the world, but in Nigeria, it is even more extreme. The artist unknowingly or sometimes knowingly cheapens
the worth or value of his works, but does not really care since his/her first
priority is to put food on his/her table. A mistrust along the entire value chain begins to build up, and as a result, we have what is going on today.
The gallery owners do not trust their collectors/art enthusiasts with their
artists, and likewise, the artists do not fully trust the integrity of the
gallery, who are supposed to be like their agents and most trusted allies. Some
gallery owners feel betrayed because they have painstakingly promoted this
artist and brought him/her into the limelight and therefore expect unflinching
loyalty in return, while on the other hand some artists feel deeply hurt and used
by some of their gallery owners that have, despite all the hard work they have
seen them put into creating their pieces, chosen to short change them by not
sticking to the initially agreed payment terms and taken advantage of their now
seemingly desperate situation. The collector then also further exploits the rift
between the artist and the gallery owner by wooing the artist and making direct
purchases. In my opinion, the biggest beneficiary of this rift is the
collector. However, you can’t blame the collector really, as he is nothing other
than an investor trying to maximise profit by seizing the opportunity made
possible by the discord in the artist-gallery relationship.
Back to
why I decided to write this article. I wanted to highlight the apparent
challenges in the art industry, what the causes of these challenges are and
then suggest a way forward. In summary,
I would put it as follows:
Challenges:
Some gallery owners are short-changing artists and are not being the people of
integrity they should be. This is eroding the trust artists have in them and is
driving them right into the arms of collectors. Loyalty and respect must be
mutual. I believe if a gallery owner shows true loyalty to the artist through
integrity, then it is only natural that the artist will return that loyalty or
at least appear to have a conscience when approached by the collector. One
might consider this to be naïve, but it’s worth a try.
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| Possibilities Bunmi Babatunde |
Artists, on the other are circumventing the relationship between gallery owner and their
collectors since they refuse to respect the sequence of the art value-chain and
have chosen to accept the advances being made by the collectors and be disloyal
to their gallery owners, who are supposed to be their agents and closest allies.
As earlier stated, the gallery owner also shares the blame.
Collectors
boycott the gallery owner and thereby threaten their existence and deny less
privileged upcoming artists the opportunity to promote and showcase their works
to the world.
Causes:
Gallery owners and artists alike do not seem to be guided by any sense of
business ethics, and as such, find themselves being dishonest and disloyal to one
another.
Collectors
are not necessarily interested in the growth or welfare of the artists, but
rather are solely interested in profiteering from their investment. No one
can really blame them, right?
Artists
tend to think too short-term of the effect of such disloyalty to their gallery
owners, who are supposed to be their agents and promoters, and as such tend to
show more allegiance towards the collector than the gallery owner.
Way
forward: Gallery owners need to win back the trust of the artists. The artists
need to be given the assurance that their gallery owner, who is also supposed to
be their agent, has their best interests at heart. Gallery owners should also consider
signing formal agreements with the artists that are not just lopsided but
equitable and fair. The artist may also need to offer the gallery exclusivity
for a certain period so the gallery owner can rest assured all his promotional
efforts would not be in vain, and his investment is secured at least for a
certain period. If this can be done in other industries, including the sports and
music industry, why should it be strange to the art industry? Loyalty and
respect must be mutual. I believe if a gallery owner shows true loyalty to the
artist through integrity, then it is only natural that the artist will return
that loyalty or at least appear to have a conscience when approached by the
collector.
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| Obitun Dancers by Ben Enwonwu |
Artists
need to start thinking more long-term and not just live in “the now”. They need
to understand that they stand to gain more in the long run if they keep their
allegiance to their gallery owner, whose “bread and butter” comes from
promoting them and their works. Even if, as an artist, it is only natural that a
collector will definitely try to find their way to strike a deal directly with
you, then at least adhere to a Recommended Retail Price so you don’t undermine
the efforts of your gallery, which is putting everything on the line to put you
out there. It would generally make sense to respect the sequence of the aforementioned value-chain, after all, when you want to book a performing artist, you
don’t call him directly, but go through his agent/manager. It just makes
relationships tidier and more professional. In business, we all become more
proficient and effective when we tend to focus more on our core competencies,
e.g. the artists focus on creating new works and the gallery owners focus on
packaging, showcasing, marketing and selling the artists’ works. It is
unethical that a gallery owner would put out works of a certain artist at a
certain price and then the artist, on the other hand, would be offering similar
works for dumping prices to the collector directly. What does an artist stand
to gain by rubbishing the efforts of the gallery? With such acts of sabotage, an
artist only ends up devaluing his/her worth on the art scene.
As for
the art collectors, all I can do is appeal to them to try to put the
interest of the Nigerian Art industry before their own. Help the Nigerian Art
Industry by promoting the art galleries, which in turn promote the artists. Try to
imagine what the art landscape would look like without the galleries. Imagine
if there were fewer art galleries and art exhibitions to attend and enjoy, wining
and dining, networking, the ambience, etc. This will only be possible if we
continue to show support for the efforts of the gallery owners.
In
conclusion, I suggest that artists and gallery owners alike should continue to
work closer together and understand that only a win-win scenario is the best
way forward to ensure a profitable co-existence.
Ekemelu
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| Nnoli |
Nnoli brings a wealth of experience
gathered over the years, while honing his skills in business development and
project management in Europe and Nigeria. He has held senior management
positions in organisations spanning across micro-finance, socio-economic
development, design, manufacturing, customer service, strategy consultancy and
event management industries. Being a concept development and project
implementation expert with an entrepreneurial spirit, he set up ventures such
as Solucen, a leader in the alternative and renewable energy sector and
FruitMax (fresh fruit juice manufacturing). He is a fervent believer in
maintaining the highest standards of quality at all times and that on no
account should quality ever be compromised, even if it requires you going the
extra mile. As a graduate with a never-ending thirst for knowledge, every
challenge in his view is an opportunity to learn something new. Just as he
strongly believes his passion for motorcycling creates a symbiotic relationship
between “man and machine”, so does he set out to create a symbiosis between
concept development and an organisation’s mission and vision.
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