By partnering with hospitality brands and selling events I think of two: Spectator at Tarkay Exhibition by Marcus Glenn (born 1968). There are a number of ways in which art galleries could attract larger crowds and become lively third places. So many conversations remain uninitiated and relationships undeveloped because art galleries fail to implement innovative marketing strategies to generate foot traffic. Instead, they could be buzzing spaces of discovery year-long. Unfortunately, most galleries-and this is a global issue-exist as empty and silent white cubes with stacks of press releases and catalogues that are extended to a handful of collectors now and then. It is also a phenomenon upon which viewers are bound to have opinions-that they’d like to share with somebody else, and in the process, befriend the other. Art is generally non-threatening and pleasing. Physical contemporary art galleries are especially appropriate as the third place. Social media is very often too vitriolic and divisive-which makes it unsuitable as a third place. If you spend time with people you’re not going to hate them, it’s just that simple.” And if you are suspicious, you will act accordingly. If you don’t know your neighbours, you will be suspicious. When you go to a third place you essentially open yourself up to whoever is there. ‘Virtual’ means that something is like something else in both essence and effect, and that’s not true in this instance. The idea that electronic communication permits a virtual third place is misleading. He writes: “Third places are face-to-face phenomena. Is social media a type of third place too? Oldenburg says no. Salons, similarly, were famous in France. Coffeehouses have played such a role in the past-in the Ottoman Empire, England and America. As an article on The Atlantic notes, third places enable “serendipitous” encounters. Within this space, you can feel relaxed and start conversations. Separated from the “domestic” and “productive” areas of life, they are remedies for stress, loneliness and alienation. Third places are neutral grounds that do not push particular ideologies, and levellers that dissolve hierarchies. Examples are cafés, clubs, public libraries, gyms, bookstores, bars, hair salons and parks. Third places exist beyond the first (home) and second (work) places. A good number of my event attendees were indeed fascinated by the exhibitions, they just had no prior awareness of the establishments organising them.Īn art gallery, I believe, can be an effective “third place”-a concept introduced by American urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg (1932-2022) in his book The Great Good Place (1989). As many art galleries do not engage in mass advertising, most people in the vicinity do not even know that they exist. This made me reflect on the potential of art galleries, and how underutilised they were as points of community-building in their current state. The Great Good Place (1989) by Ray Oldenburg He really appreciated our initiative because he felt that the decline of organised religion had led to a lack of meaningful social opportunities in modern world. Others joined to make new contacts.Īt one point, a young man who had moved to Sydney from Brisbane came to my co-organiser and me and said something very interesting. Some participants attended for the artistic element. The crowd was diverse-comprised of locals, tourists, immigrants, students, seniors, professionals from a variety of industries. Finally, we would go to a café for snacks, an optional addition to the experience.Īs these art walks/tours were very affordable, the turnout was good. Then within three hours, we would take a group of up to 25 people around, spending 10 minutes per gallery. My co-organiser and I would select an area (Paddington, Darlinghurst, The Rocks) with a concentration of galleries, at least about eight of them. Glenn’s gallery paintings took me back to my own experience of hosting art events in Sydney, promoted via Meetup. I liked how the artworks here are the focal point where people gather they become the subject of human connections. I stumbled upon the work of Detroit based artist Marcus Glenn last month and was instantly drawn to his paintings of people viewing paintings in art galleries. NovemDecemStepping out in the Gallery with Tarkay by Marcus Glenn (born 1968).
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