The visible part: Of art galleries, artistic activity and urban dynamics

Abstract

This paper looks at the places of art and art galleries from a spatial point of view and in relation to contemporary urban dynamics. Presenting prospective reflections about the spatialities of places where transactions are financial and symbolic, as well as the data and methods used for empirical research, this paper introduces an ongoing project dealing with the Parisian gallery landscape since the contemporary art boom, in relation to the production of urban space. I argue that ‘visibility’ is a useful notion to interrogate the geography and dynamics associated with art galleries. It can either describe their presence and environment within the city and from the street, or the ‘visibilisation’ of portions of the city in relation to the dynamics of urban renewal. Based on quantitative and qualitative data, the project will offer insights into the causes and impacts of the spatial structuration of the Parisian art market on different scales. Therefore, the project enhances existing research concerning the influence of art-related activities upon the transformations of urban space, but also anchors the analysis of the geography of art galleries and its recent history in a wider socio-economical perspective.

A Spatial History of Independent Art Spaces in Krakow from the 1970s to 2019

“…More often, however, they were located farther from these quarters, in rather neglected neighbourhoods generally considered 'bad', combining distance from the mainstream artistic core with equally low physical visibility, with some exceptions of medium physical visibility (ground floors with storefronts in a few cases, but never on the main streets). Site-specific aesthetics of cellars, attics and flats re-used for artistic purposes were prevailing over white cube interiors typical of commercial premises used by professional art dealers (see Debroux 2017). No matter the period or location within the city, they often incorporated their distinct, specific sites into their artistic practices (e.g., cramped attics used by the Zderzak gallery in the 1980s/1990s and Elementarz dla mieszkańców miast in the 2010s, damp cellars occupied by the QQ gallery in the 1980s/1990s and the Cellar gallery in the 2010s)-they become a pretext and a context for the cultural production and consumption, and as such become a vital part of the unique experience for art viewers (see Rius Ulldemolins 2012;Vickery 2014).…”

“…Initially it covered the period after 1989, but later it was extended to the pre-1989 era back to the 1970s when the first such an artistic initiative was established in Krakow (Działek 2021). Various data sources (see Rius Ulldemolins 2012;Debroux 2017;Molho and Sagot-Duvauroux 2017) were used to create a database of art galleries and art spaces: printed and online editions of local newspapers and weeklies, art and cultural magazines, art portals, gallery websites and social media profiles, artists' websites, and other written materials on art galleries in Krakow and Poland. Personal visits of more recent art initiatives were conducted between 2015 and 2019, especially during annual gallery weekends known as Krakers (which were later transformed into a gallery week) (https://cracowartweek.pl/, accessed on 5 May 2021).…”

“…Founders of independent art spaces follow the path of early-career artists, which for economic reasons often choose to live and create in derelict areas away from established artistic cores, in districts inhabited by residents with a lower socio-economic status (Standl and Krupickaitė 2004;Tremblay and Pilati 2008;Rius Ulldemolins 2012;Phillips 2014;Schuetz and Green 2014;Debroux 2017). Like young creatives, they refer to the atmosphere of authenticity associated with historic and/or industrial buildings and to the "nourishing otherness" (Chełstowska 2009, p. 183) of working class or ethnic communities.…”

“…It brings an additional aesthetic and semantic frame of reference to the works of art they exhibit, especially when it is reinforced by the site-specific context of reused interiors, distinguishing them from the white walls of traditional art galleries. For their audience, usually younger and less affluent, reaching such a site can constitute an additional added value of experiencing art (Zukin 2008;Molotch and Treskon 2009;Moulin 2009;Harris 2012;Rius Ulldemolins 2012;Schuetz 2013Schuetz , 2014Jansson 2014;Phillips 2014;Vickery 2014;Polyák 2015;Debroux 2017;Molho and Sagot-Duvauroux 2017).…”

Arts in the city: Debates in the Journal of Urban Affairs

“…This mutual relationship is investigated in different aspects through the articles published in the special issue. Key concerns included cinematic representations of public spaces that make them available to a wider audience and shape the imaginaries of cities (Guillard & Pleven, 2017) and how art can become visible in the city and also bring visibility to particular areas of the city (Debroux, 2017). Also, the mobility of the arts was highlighted by Balti (2017), who claimed that art should not only be considered as an object but also as a process that can move in different parts of the city.…”