New mobile platform for smart investments in emerging Contemporary art


NEW YORK, NY.- Nathalie Haveman and David Dehaeck, the two co founders of Art+, announced today the forthcoming launch of Art+, a new mobile social media platform that empowers its members to discover, acquire, and manage premium works of art by the most promising young and emerging artists. The invitation-only forum is aimed at art enthusiasts and collectors of contemporary art, and involves partnerships with commercial galleries and seasoned curators from around the world.

The first Selection of Jan Hoet includes works by the following artists: Cornelius Quabeck, Rossella Biscotti, Jens Wolf, Michal Budny, Veronica Brovall, Silke Schatz, Sophie Bueno-Boutellier, Nina Canell, Katinka Bock and Guillaume Leblon. The works of art by artists that are selected have price tags in galleries between a few hundred to 10.000 euros.

“New collectors understand that the Web is a viable alternative to traditional art market venues and offers better opportunities to filter and connect,” said David Dehaeck, co-founder and CEO of Art+. “By creating a platform that provides insight from experts in the art world and combining it with the transparency of fellow members’ behaviors and preferences, we equip our members to filter their choices and build collections of investment-quality art.”

“We are at a moment in history where empowerment through technology and social media offers unique opportunities,” he said. “There is a large art audience that is currently underserved by traditional models of collecting and engagement. We aim to engage and mobilize that audience.” For the launch of Art+, the German artist Jens Wolf exclusively made three screen-print editions for this occasion. The complete set of three prints form the perfect starter package for both the art enthusiast with the intention to start collecting art or for the art collector wishing to expand their collection with this unique set of works of art.

Last but not least, Art+ also announces the forthcoming launch of the first biennial exhibition of contemporary art ever to take place solely via the Internet, BiennaleOnline

Through the intuitive Art+ Web interface designed especially for engagement with works of art, combined with artificial intelligence that tracks what the user favors, the project will bring together eight young contemporary art curators from across the globe under the creative leadership of Jan Hoet. Each will select one artist in five categories for inclusion in the inaugural event, Connecting the Dots: The Evolution Will Be Social.

More than a million visitors to the site are expected within the first 90 days of the exhibition, starting September 20, 2012, and running through 2013. Preview Pass holders and Premium members of Art+, the groundbreaking invitational online platform for collectors, may log on starting September 6, 2012.The first platform of its kind, BiennaleOnline makes available a curated selection of critically acclaimed artists’ work on any Internet-enabled device, anywhere in the world.

A modular interface allows visitors to follow the specially curated paths and quickly sort selections according to artist, medium, region, and other criteria, and to view works in relation to those of other artists or zoom in to examine details and surfaces. Users may also define and tag routes themselves, creating personalized maps to share their favorite artists through social media forums, including Twitter, Facebook, and Artplus.com.

“BiennaleOnline is a transformative experience,” said Jan Hoet, artistic director of BiennaleOnline 2012. “It delivers an unparalleled collection of the most promising contemporary artists worldwide through the convenience, multimedia functionality, and social engagement of the Web.”

As artistic director of Documenta 9 (1992), Hoet infused new meaning and international success into exhibitions of this calibre.

For BiennaleOnline’s inaugural exhibition, curators from eight major metropolitan centers—Berlin, London, New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Dubai, Mumbai, and Beijing—have been invited to participate under Hoet’s creative leadership. Interesting to note is the fact that works of art by artists that are selected will also have price tags in galleries between a few hundred to 10.000 euros.

The exhibition will present work by a total of 104 individual artists. Curators will consider traditional media, installations, performance, photography, and new media that reflect the current economic, social, and technological changes taking place throughout the world. In addition, eight renowned artists, eight established collectors, and eight celebrity collectors will each present one artist whose work holds particular interest to them.