The Gagosian empire has spread across Chelsea and the rest of the world, most recently to Rome, Italy. But this incredibly successful venture is taking on a new aspect–retail. Coolhunting reports that the store “focuses primarily on the publications, posters and accessible artist editions that the powerhouse gallery creates from its many shows at its galleries around the world.”
My first reaction was along the lines of “ugh, how commercial.” Unlike museum shops, this seems like a drive to squeeze the last penny out of an already profitable machine in a way that may or may not help the artist. But then I started daydreaming about the cool stuff that I might actually be able to afford….this is clearly designed to reach out to a whole new audience of people like me…I like that.
I think it’s interesting how this new venture is viewed differently from the various industries. I heard word of this in the publishing biz from a headline on Publishers Marketplace that simply read “Gagosian to Open Upper East Side Bookstore.” I don’t know how this will fare in the struggling economy, but I’m excited to hear that a bookstore is opening its doors instead of closing them!
Additional info about the venture is also posted at http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/32551/gagosian-to-open-upper-east-side-bookstore/
🙂
-Danielle, “Reading Between the Lines”
Seeing this I thought, hey, who doesn’t want a Jeff Koons doggie vase?
Then I realized: Pretty much everyone.
Danielle, thanks for the link. As Chris mentions, there will also be doggy vases and posters. The products could be really fun or (I’m afraid) really terrible. But no doubt the books part of it will be lovely.
They are finally taking the “paper” and toys out of the gallery and putting it in a store where it belongs. I heard that the vase was $7500. One could get a really “good” piece of sculpture or painting for that kind of $$. The puppy vase will be copied and sold cheaply pretty soon indeed.