The Versatile Master Artist

”Seven-year contract period, during the contract duration, the contracted artist must provide at least one hundred works to the gallery, with total sales no less than 200,000 US dollars promised by Ma Shi Gallery. For sales below 200,000 US dollars, a 75% commission is taken, from 200,000 to 500,000 US dollars, a 65% commission, and for over 500,000 US dollars, the commission is adjusted to a fifty-fifty split. During the contract period, the contracted artist must participate in one academic or art exhibition organized by Ma Shi Gallery at least every two years, totaling no less than four times. If the total sales of works created during the contract exceed 500,000 US dollars, an additional solo exhibition and publication of an individual art book must be organized for the artist.”

Hanks looked at the tiered numbers Mrs. Sakai was writing on the paper.

As he read halfway, his head started shaking like a rattle drum.

”It’s absurd, absolutely absurd!”

”Guaranteeing a total sales of no less than 200,000 US dollars? Sales are determined by market acceptance and the artist’s level. We can’t fulfill that condition; does it mean if he gives us a hundred blank sheets, we also have to promise to sell them for 200,000 US dollars?”

”There’s a saying in the industry, a crude gallery can sell gold as dog shit, while an excellent gallery can sell dog shit as gold. Perhaps there’s some exaggeration in this. However, as long as Ma Shi Gallery is willing to tilt sales resources toward Xiaogu, such as holding several large solo exhibitions, selling a hundred sheets of blank paper for 200,000 US dollars is actually quite easy.”

Mrs. Sakai said lightly.

”Pfft.”

”Holding several large solo exhibitions? Madam, you might as well ask us to spend 200,000 dollars ourselves to buy all his works.”

Hanks was directly amused.

Theoretically,

The works of an emerging artist and various new types of virtual currency that are developed over time in a blockchain exchange.

As long as resources are allocated and there is sufficient media exposure, willing to hype.

Even blank paper and air can be easily sold at sky-high prices.

At most, it’s just bold collectors playing a game of passing the parcel, betting that the bubble doesn’t burst in their hands.

But it can’t be accounted like this.

The promotion and marketing itself are very expensive.

A decent solo exhibition, the gallery’s cost expenses can easily start from tens of thousands of US dollars.

Tens of thousands refer to a very small exhibition.

If you really want to scale it up, invest some resources and cooperate with some large museums, spending millions of US dollars can be like child’s play.

Please note,

Spending 200,000 US dollars to hold a solo exhibition that can attract public and collector attention for a great artist is a very economical expenditure. Plus, the gallery must have the kind of half-century connections that Ma Shi Gallery has with museums to hold exhibitions at a cost price.

Otherwise, the costs will rise.

If you really want to organize an exhibition that is world-renowned, achieving what Mrs. Sakai described as ”selling dog shit as gold” on that scale.

Sorry,

A million dollars to start, with no upper limit.

Damien Hirst, a few years ago during the Venice Biennale period, spent ten years preparing and brought his entry ”Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable” at the Grassi Palace in Venice.

It was not a painting, but a set of 189 art pieces like a combined solo exhibition.

For this solo exhibition, the support team behind Hirst, excluding labor costs and venue expenses, had a basic cost expenditure exceeding 50 million Pounds.

Not 50 million US dollars, but 50 million Pounds.

Still, in the end, it didn’t win any awards. Of course, that’s a bit of a hellish joke, as Hirst participated in a parallel exhibition and was not even part of the Biennale’s award system.

However.

Such an art exhibition is indeed like a metaphor.

Art is a gold mine when it earns money, but when it burns money, even pouring in a listed company from the new OTC market won’t make a splash.

In comparison,

The requirement proposed by Mrs. Sakai to publish a personal art book for Gu Weijing is more acceptable.

The publication of related art books or art monographs by artists is usually to gain fame in the academic field.

The sales of art books are not high but printing is very expensive, and basically the gallery has to publish them at its own cost, and tens of thousands of US dollars are definitely needed.

”We can’t agree to such conditions, and no gallery at the same level would offer such conditions to an unknown emerging artist.”

Hanks sneered.

”Sorry, I respect you, madam, but this request is simply outrageous. You must know, he is a newcomer, a newcomer without any accumulated fame!”

He emphasized in a particularly strong tone, tapping the table, almost yelling.

”This condition could be enough to dig out a mid-to-high-level artist from a second-tier gallery. This condition is simply a fantasy.”

”Xiaogu is just an unknown newcomer now, but soon he won’t be. Gu Weijing is going to participate in this year’s Lion City Art Exhibition, and the painting you saw is the concept for his entry work for the exhibition. You can make your own judgment on the visual effect of the work.”

”Lion City Art Exhibition, oh no wonder...”

Upon hearing this term,

Hanks was slightly enlightened.

He recalled the painting ”Sunshine Orphanage” and immediately realized that this painting is truly perfect for participating in this year’s Human Noise·Biennial Art Exhibition in the Lion City.

If Gu Weijing really participates in the Singapore Art Exhibition, or even wins an award, his value will naturally increase significantly.