Strauss & Co’s Post

Koyo Kouoh’s appointment as the Director of the Visual Arts Department for the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia is a significant milestone, not only for Cape Town and women in the arts industry, but also for the ongoing reconfiguration of power and representation in the global art world. As Executive Director and Chief Curator of Zeitz MOCAA, Kouoh has consistently demonstrated how art can serve as both a mirror and a tool for societal change, blending curatorial excellence with bold political activism. Through her leadership at Zeitz MOCAA, she has redefined what it means to center African and diaspora voices in the global arts landscape, carving out spaces for stories that challenge, provoke, and inspire. This appointment reflects a growing recognition of the intellectual and political frameworks African leaders bring to global cultural institutions. Kouoh’s trajectory exemplifies how female leadership can reshape institutions—not through adaptation to established norms, but by challenging and redefining them. Her career reminds us that art is not just a medium of beauty but a weapon of resistance and transformation, capable of shaping the narratives of history and the futures we imagine. Her role at La Biennale will undoubtedly extend this impact, positioning art as a site of both reflection and action in an increasingly polarized world. #ArtAndSociety #LeadershipInTheArts #ZeitzMOCAA #KoyoKouoh #LaBiennaleDiVenezia

Join our conversation at Art Basel! Hot topic! More details, see below!

What does 2025 hold for the art world? As 2024 draws to a close, our Future Forecast takes a look at 5 top trends that will be shaping the year ahead. Celebrating VOLTA's connections within the global art community, our 2025 Future Forecast shares valuable insights from Pauline Loeb-Obrenan, Founder of artfairmag, Heath Lowndes, Founder of Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC), Will Ramsay, Founder of Ramsay Fairs, and VOLTA's Artistic Director, Lee Cavaliere. Artworks Feros with Art Axcess Alex Baciu with Kulterra Gallery Aurora Pellizzi with Lagos Read the full future forecast here: https://lnkd.in/g45-KPJi #VOLTA #Basel #VOLTABasel #ArtFair #VOLTAArtFairs #futureforecast #trends #toptrends #trendsfor2025 #2025predictions #ContemporaryArt #exhibit #artcollecting #artcollector #artexhibition

Contemporary art is really a booming sector. Auction sales are breaking records, and events like Art Brussels 2024 and the Venice Biennale are drawing crowds. Investing in new artists is not only exciting but also potentially very profitable. Why Invest in New Artists? Return on Investment: Works by emerging artists can quickly increase in value, offering interesting gains. Diversification: Contemporary art allows for portfolio diversification, providing protection against market volatility. Support for Creation: By investing in new talents, you help artists continue to create and gain recognition. Cultural Enrichment: Owning contemporary art enriches your cultural heritage and contributes to the spread of contemporary culture. Conclusion In summary, contemporary art is an exciting investment opportunity with financial and cultural benefits. By supporting new artists, you can not only achieve financial gains but also contribute to the enrichment of the global art scene.

📌 WHY DO CELEBRITIES AND INDUSTRY TYCOONS SURROUND THEMSELVES WITH WORKS OF ART?  Here are some reasons that might surprise you! 🌟🎨 - Heritage: Art is an investment that transcends time. Works of art by established artists often increase in value, making them a safe and lasting investment. 💎📈 -Prestige: Owning works of art by famous artists is a sign of refinement and distinction. It is a way to express one's sophisticated taste and erudition. 🏛️🌟 -Passion : Many prominent personalities are true art lovers. Buying works of art is a way to support the artists they admire and to enrich their lives with beauty and inspiration. 🎨❤️ -Giving: Many art collectors donate their valuable collections to museums and galleries, contributing to the preservation of art and its accessibility for all. 🏛️💝 What about you? Do you surround yourself with works of art? 🎨🌈 #Art #Investment #Artmarket 

🎨 𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞? I truly believe that art, especially public art, plays a crucial role in engaging communities and encouraging positive action. During my recent visit to Paris, I checked several exhibitions that reaffirmed this belief. 🌳 From the gigantic participative installation 𝒮𝓎𝓂𝒻𝑜𝓁𝒾𝒶 by Rachel Marks who invited thousands of youth to celebrate the diversity of the world 🎸 To 𝑀é𝓉𝒶𝓁 exhibition powerful display of how music reflect societal issues and always took part in protest movements 💫 To the inclusive sculpture 𝒩𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝐼𝐼𝐼 evoking both diversity and unity of humanity by #JaumePlensa at Espace Monte-Cristo 💬 To Centre Pompidou exploring how comics are a medium to critisize society with humour or a "what if" imaginarium 🎡 To 59 RIVOLI where accessibility to art is at the heart of the concept and you can meet artists in their studio 👩🎨 Where the artist Sandra Cheres making affordable art with positive messages made of upcycled materials 🎈 To 𝒲𝐸 𝒜𝑅𝐸 𝐻𝐸𝑅𝐸 exhibition where street artists took over the Petit Palais - attracting a diverse audience among the historical artworks. These exhibitions comforted my belief that art has always been a tool for all to express their voices. Public art should be more prevalent in our spaces, serving as a 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. As #ShepardFairey claims on Paris' Walls: "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧". Art has the power to awaken a sense of community and responsibility, driving us towards a more engaged and aware society. 🎇 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮? #ArtForChange #PublicArt #PowerofArt #ArtConnection

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Impressionism’s birth in 1874, when 31 artists, including Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, and Berthe Morisot, staged an exhibition that shocked Paris. Monet’s Impression, Sunrise (1872) inspired the movement’s name, which was coined contemptuously. The Impressionists, and the Post-Impressionists who quickly followed in their wake, went on to become massively popular with the public and a titanic force in the art market. Impressionism has long been a principal area of focus for auction houses, which usually sell the genre alongside the Modern art it went on to inspire. In the art market, there is a perception that Impressionism has lost its luster over the years—that with prime material in museums, supply has declined alongside demand, as tastes have shifted to Contemporary stars. But what do auction statistics have to say? Artnet, in collaboration with Morgan Stanley, investigated. Read the report: https://bit.ly/3BAcp9I

Pallant House Gallery The Shape of Things questions the idea that still life is a lesser genre, showing how important it is to artists and society. Featuring a ‘Who’s Who’ of Modern and Contemporary British artists, the exhibition digs into still life’s rich symbolism and how it’s pushed boundaries and new ideas. The exhibition shifts from 17th-century ‘vanitas’ paintings to post-impressionism to abstraction and from pop to conceptual art. It invites viewers to think about life’s challenges, such as love and grief, identity and the subconscious, life and death and plenty and waste. Today, these challenges also include biodiversity loss, the legacy of colonialism, and climate change. On display are a selection of works by modern and contemporary artists in Britain including Hurvin Anderson, Vanessa Bell, Edward Burra, Patrick Caulfield, Lucian Freud, Gluck, Duncan Grant, Richard Hamilton, Mona Hatoum, Jann Haworth, David Hockney, Lee Miller, Paul Nash, Ben Nicholson, William Nicholson, Eric Ravilious, Anwar Jalal Shemza, William Scott, Walter Sickert, Stanley Spencer, Edmund de Waal, Rachel Whiteread and Clare Woods. The exhibition looks at how these artists have used traditional art history to express the complexities of the human condition. Phoebe Cummings, an artist working with clay, has created a site-specific installation for this exhibition – Phoebe Cummings: I hear myself with my throat Until 20 October 2024

Art is about connection and dialogue. Collecting art also fosters relationships. It bridges the gap between individuals, communities and cultures. Art galleries, exhibitions and museums are meeting points where people engage in dialogue, share perspectives and celebrate creativity. Through art, we create connections that transcend borders and enrich our collective experience and inspire change. Artists notice something that most of the world doesn't, but it exists. Their works challenge norms, provoke thought, and stimulate conversation. Collectors play a vital role in acquiring and preserving artists' work and promoting their visions. In this way, they contribute to the history of contemporary art and shape the cultural landscape. At its core, art is a timeless tradition—a record of civilization and a beacon that guides us into the future. Art is a celebration that unites time, attitudes, history, people and the world, the essence of which is one, the totality of its parts, creating a new quality. ---------------------- #artcollector #collectart #collection #artinvestment #art