Money is not everything

Art Barter is coming to Istanbul for the first time on 18^th to 26^th of January.

Early in 2009, curators Alix Janta-Polczynski and Lauren Jones grew aware of a shift in how people obtained wants or needs.

They formed Art Barter as an alternative platform to create an environment where the viewer always has a chance to acquire the works on display.

Artists have always been familiar with the use of barter worldwide, however, the Art Barter schema is distinct in its promotion of such a form of exchange in the current art market and in the lasting working relationships that are being born out of the project.

At Art Barter, the names of the artists are not displayed along with the artworks; the viewer values the art for its own sake without being predisposed to a name or a price tag. Having to barter also motivates the viewer to think about what they have that is unique to offer the artists.

Previous Art Barters have seen artists exchange their works for 6 months of Italian lessons, 3 months of psychotherapy, 30 hours of reflexology, website design, a gallop on a white horse, gardening lessons, a poem for each month of a year and other creative offers ranging from a woman offering to bear the artist’s child to one promising a life time of cheese supply.

The way it works...

Each artist's work is displayed in the exhibition with a number next to it. Viewers are invited to fill out barter forms with their offers on any work that they desire. These offers are then pinned on a communal board or placed on a box to protect the privacy of the bid. At the end of the show, the artists will choose from all the offers made on their work and will decide which (if any) offer they would like to exchange their work for.

For further information, Art Barter Facebook