The true value of art is rarely what someone will pay for it.
This statement – seen in all of the printed materials and on posters around the room – served as the organizational concept for the series of talks that took place over the course of six hours last Friday, June 1 at TEDxChelsea. Over 15 speakers gave 15 minute talks in a small theater space at the School of Visual Arts, which played host to this special series of talks organized in coordination with TED whose famous speaker series highlights individuals with “ideas worth spreading,” with talks spanning a wide array of art world related topics from a diverse selection of participants.
The speakers ranged from individuals involved in the commercial side of the art world, with gallerist Jim Kempner and art advisor Candace Worth, to former museum directors like David Ross, to artists such as Eric Doeringer and Man Bartlet. Most excitingly, Paddle8 co-founder Aditya Julka was invited to present a talk, which he called Beauty and the Beast: Creative Entrepreneurship in the Art World. With an exceptionally strong science and business background – he holds two degrees in Biochemical Engineering from the India Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard – Aditya primarily focused his talk on the ways individuals from “non-creative” industries can play a vital role in the art world, specifically for Paddle8 with simplifying purchasing processes that have the tendency to bog down all art related transactions. While not only providing insight into the ways cross-discipline collaboration can streamline and improve the user experience of learning about and acquiring art, Aditya’s talk also got the crowd laughing and left the audience with a lot to chew on as art and the Internet become ever more interrelated and codependent.
Other highlights from TEDxChelsea included Jim Kempner’s comical anecdotes from his experience becoming a gallerist more than twenty years ago, David Ross’ discussion of becoming an assistant museum curator before even finishing college and Eric Doeringer’s exploration of copyright and the moral/legal implications of appropriation in contemporary art.
Stay tuned for when the talks will be hosted online, and tell us what you think about artwork and value on Facebook!