Art Industry Insights With Reena Devi

  • What The Sacklers And Museum Boards Tell Us About Toxic Philanthropy In The Art World

    Even before the pandemic, philanthropy as a whole has been “dominated” by high net worth individuals (HNWI). Reportedly, giving by small donors declined over the last two decades, with an increase in donations spearheaded by mega-donors and mega gifts over US$300 million. This trend of fewer but richer individuals driving donations is definitely visible in the…

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  • The Cultural Paralysis Of Frieze, Art Basel And Other Art Fairs

    Earlier this month, the Frieze Viewing Room for Frieze London and Frieze Masters launched alongside in-person programming and physical versions of their online art exhibits set up by gallerists in their brick-and-mortar spaces. In spite of reportedly brisk sales even via its online platform, the overall visitor experience for the Frieze Viewing Room did not seem to…

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  • The Art World’s Blind Spots In Dealing With Unemployment

    Over the course of 2020, COVID-19 has made its presence known across the world, driving billion-dollar industries to a standstill and making it near impossible for vulnerable communities to sustain themselves without aid. In fact, the “sharp recovery,” which took place when businesses resumed following the easing of lockdown measures in various parts of the…

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  • What The Art World Is Missing In Its Leadership Crisis

    Leadership has always been a hot button issue in the art world, especially with museums. It was just last year Whitney Museum of American Art Vice-Chairman Warren Kanders came under fire for his nefarious corporate ties and stepped down. However, this year the art world has a full-blown leadership crisis on its hands. What constitutes leadership has…

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  • What Will It Take For Biennials To Stay Relevant?

    During the first half of this year, as the pandemic spread across continents, the 2021 art world calendar inevitably became packed with at least 20 major biennials, most of which were originally slated for 2020. Meanwhile, others such as the Biennale de Lyon in France and the Venice Biennale in Italy have been pushed to 2022,…

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