Bumpy road ahead - 2009 will be a trying year for the art world nevertheless local players remain optimistic, writes Mary Corrigall

The art centres of New York and London are reeling in the wake of a financial recession. Galleries are closing, the survival and efficacy of public museums reliant on private funding are under threat and auction prices which dropped by 4,5 percent for the first time in six years are expected to sink much lower. The South African economy has been partly cushioned against the effects of the global credit crisis but the message hailing from all spheres of local industry is that 2009 will test the survival of many businesses. The local art world certainly won’t be impervious to the economic downturn, but which echelons of the industry will be the most aversely affected?

Reliant on government rather than private funding for its running costs and acquisitions (albeit limited), our local museums should be able to weather the storm. However, most are reliant on private sponsors to bank roll major shows, such as Standard Bank’s sponsorship of Marlene Dumas’ Intimate Relations at Iziko South African National Gallery last year. In fact artists, art projects and programmes and award exhibitions are all dependent on the benevolence of corporate companies. Corporate buyers are also a life-line for many a Joburg gallery.

Standard Bank have cancelled their sponsorship of this year’s Cape Town Jazz Festival but will continue as planned with acquisitions for their collection, says Mandie van der Spuy, the banks’ art sponsorship manager.

While Van der Spuy doesn’t foresee any other major alterations to their sponsorship programme she says that the bank’s sponsorship budgets will all be tightened.

“The programmes will all remain in place but the budgets will be managed carefully and we will reduce spending where we can.”
Van der Spuy predicts that smaller sponsors might feel the pinch a bit more and will be compelled to cancel actual projects.

Ricardo Fornoni, is the co-owner and curator at Resolution Gallery, a relatively new gallery located on Joburg’s ‘art strip’ along Jan Smuts Avenue. He is optimistic that his gallery will ride out an economic recession.

“We are more flexible and because we are still small so our overheads are not as high as the more established galleries. There is a good chance that we will make it through this bad path if we keep the quality of our exhibitions high and keep developing new concepts.”

Fornoni is less hopeful about securing sponsorship for some of the bigger projects he had planned for the year.
“We had two or three big projects that we are looking for sponsorship, which I think will be difficult to get.”
The mood in art world is jittery, says Fornoni.
“Everybody is quite concerned and panicked; it is going to be a tough year.”
There is much talk abroad that the recession will be beneficial to the art world; that art will become less commodified. Some see the reverse happening, suggesting that with their backs up against the wall gallerists will prefer to invest in “money shows” rather than risky conceptual shows.
For a new gallery like Resolution that is still trying to establish a reputation they can’t afford not to do concept shows, says Fornoni.

Michael Stevenson, owner of the Michael Stevenson gallery in Cape Town and partner in the Joburg-based Brodie/Stevenson, says that his business felt the effects of the economic recession since the end of last year.

“Our international collectors have been much more cautious.”
Nevertheless he says that he will continue to pursue the same business model.
“If you believe in what you do you cannot change strategy.”

Galleries will undoubtedly be less keen to take risks on unknown artists but Stevenson believes that this won’t impede the rise of remarkable young talent.
“The recession has brought back the focus to the art itself. If you have talent it will manifest and you will find the support. Those without a distinctive intent will battle more than they did before (to get a foot in the door).”
The “flush years” as Stevenson terms it may be over but it is business as usual for the Stevenson enterprise which will participate in seven art fairs this year, including the Joburg Art Fair, which runs in April. Stevenson isn’t the only gallerist that is sticking to his guns. So far all 24 of the galleries committed to exhibiting at the Joburg Art Fair haven’t cancelled, according to Ross Douglas, the fair’s director and head of Artlogic. The fair’s primary sponsor – FNB - as well as a host of other secondary sponsors have also remained committed to supporting the event, he says.
Douglas is optimistic about the Art Fair and suggests that its success isn’t measured by its financial accomplishments.
“Those short on money may not spend at the art fair now but will return to the galleries when they do have money. The art fair is about more than commercial success it is about introducing contemporary art to South Africans.”