Clare Grafik 

curator at The Photographers’ gallery

The Photographers’ Gallery does not have a collection, so when we work with emerging artists, this can happen through various formats – exhibitions, commissions, awards or our educational programme. Our biennial New Talent Award is an open call judged by a different established photographer each year and through it, artists are offered an online platform/exhibition and a year-long mentorship with someone renowned in the field. Our digital programme often engages with emerging artists who are working at the intersection of photography and new technologies through the gallery’s unthinking.photography platform or, for example, commissions of new AR (augmented reality) projects that engage with the public realm outside the gallery. We also recognise the importance for emerging talent to meet other photographers, speak to people working in the industry and skill-share about how to navigate it, so our educational team schedules many opportunities to show work to gain feedback and to hear other professionals share advice.

Louise Fedotov-Clements

Director of Photoworks

PhotoWorks is a charity focused on the development of photography. The creation of new work is a critical part of the ecosystem and supporting emerging practitioners takes some intuition, trust and courage – it is a fragile yet essential part of our industry. This is why we offer mentoring, accessibility structures, and curate programmes that have safe spaces for failure and growth. It is crucial that collectors and all strata of the industry encourage emerging talent through sales and development opportunities. 

Portfolio reviews, open calls, exhibitions, books, and festivals are important places for first encounters with us. Often, we follow the development of the photographers for many years before we are able to share an opportunity. Decisions are made by ourselves or with jury members and partners who consider themes, context, funders, and underrepresented voices. We are impressed by work that is authentic in relation to the artist/s and their ideas, creation process and aesthetic, and ethical in terms of representation and creation, and we consider what relevant dialogues the work provokes for our audiences to engage in. 

Marika Kupková

curator & theoretician

As a curator of contemporary art, I am in constant contact with the younger generation, and I judge its art in exactly the same way as that of other generations: whether it piques my curiosity and whether it is authentic to me. So I do not glorify their art, but of course nor do I belittle it or otherwise label it with the argument of "youth". That strikes me as ageism with a kind face. What do I consider to be key factors in deciding on whether to include works in our collection? So as not to repeat what I said right at the start, the deciding factors include relatively practical matters such as storage or archiving. For example, collection of performative art forms is full of uncertainties and question marks. As much as the archiving of such media is a fascinating topic for media history and theory, for collectors it is an area they tend to avoid. What's to be done? In terms of tips for collectors on how to support artists and at the same time invest well, if you mean financial investment, I don't have a recipe for that. But if we understand interest in the youth scene as an investment in developing our culture and society, then there's no better way. Moreover you are investing in good karma, because philanthropists and patrons elicit more respect than skilled investors and speculators.

Anna Planas

Paris Photo Artistic Director

The selection of works for the Emerging section of Paris Photo is based on the quality of the projects. I carefully look at every proposal individually, paying attention to the scenography and the potential of the work as a solo show. Some of the artists have already produced a book and this is, of course, very useful to better understand a body of work and to contextualise the exhibition proposal.

The final decision of including a work in the selection for the Emerging sector can also depend on the momentum because it is important that the work is shown to the public and collectors at the right moment. Sometimes an artist is having an institutional exhibition, has published work in a book or magazine that year or is working on a specific subject that makes them relevant in the present time. That said, the quality of the work is the first aspect considered for the show.

The Emerging sector is an excellent place to start a collection. Many artists at the fair who are now showing work in the Main sector were once presented in the Emerging sector for the first time. It is an excellent way to get to know the work of an artist – as there are solo presentations – and to start a relationship with a gallerist. This year, the sector will present 21 projects, which gives you a comprehensive panel of what is being ‘cooked’ in contemporary photography.

Michal Novotný

Director of the Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art of the National Gallery Prague

We unfortunately operate with an acquisitions budget that is unstable but routinely small. In light of the deficit the National Gallery incurred after 1989, where essentially nothing was purchased for two decades, we are now primarily trying to buy particular names. Usually this means 1 to 2, at most 3 works from a single author so as to have them at all represented in our collection, the nature of which is fundamentally representative. For this reason we also focus on the younger generation, which we don't want to miss out on while their works are still available. In terms of our exhibition programme, the decision-making is a mixture of a whole range of intersecting points, both theoretical and practical, as well as long discussions. Of course we aim for a certain relevance or resonance in the collective endeavour that is contemporary art. One of the criteria, which more reflects that we are looking in the right direction, is often some sort of reaction abroad, but in prestigious institutions, not just anywhere. Of course we also think about how audiences will view a work in twenty, thirty, forty years, as a testimony to the present day, but also as an autonomous expression that should transcend time.

With apologies to all painters, I would recommend collectors not only purchase paintings. Even in terms of the economic aspects, for non-painting works we have also seen appreciation of tenfold or more. In art it is definitely important to be distinctive, so the same should be true of collecting. There aren't many collections of non-documentary photography, video or performance art in our country, so something can definitely be put together in this area much more easily and cheaply than for Czech Cubism say. Also, don't only buy Czech art, but also not art from just anywhere; most collections focus on a certain region, be it larger or smaller, even the Pompidou or Tate.

 

Anna Pulkertová

founder of Art Part Club

In my view, there is a very strong generation of young artists on the scene who have great potential to make their mark, both here at home and abroad. I'm very glad about this. In terms of inclusion in collections, it's different if I'm picking works for the Art Part Club fractional collection or for my own. For the club's collection, in addition to artistic value I also consider the investment potential of the selected works. That means I look at how active the given artist is in the art scene, where they are exhibited, what curators or institutions take an interest in them, and also how they are currently doing in the market, what collections their works are in, be they private or institutional, whether they work with Czech or international art dealers, and also what potential they have in the context of market trends. Last but not least, with the younger generation I also follow what the artist themself is like, whether they are afraid to talk about their work or not, whether they know foreign languages, travel abroad for residencies, etc. In choosing works for my own collection, I have more latitude and primarily choose works that I fall in love with. I would advise collectors just starting out to find a pleasant mix. Don't be afraid to fall in love with art, but also seek advice if you are looking for investment potential.