Le Journal Interviews, Market

ArtMarketGuru is a website that offers analysis and region specific research on the global art market. Founded in 2017 by Swiss art dealer Frédéric de Senarclens, ArtMarketGuru defines itself as an alternative source of art market research, analysis and statistics. As founder of online art platform ArtAndOnly, Frédéric has vast experience in the art market as well as a keen eye for what collectors want.

It is often difficult to find intelligence and comprehensive knowledge on certain regions when it comes to the world of art. Recognising this from his own extensive knowledge of regional art markets, Swiss art dealer Frédéric de Senarclens (founder of online art platform ArtAndOnly) set up ArtMarketGuru with the aim of providing targeted art market intelligence, launched with the primary objective to focus on regional markets in detail.

The first report focuses on the Southeast Asian art scene, drawing on knowledge gained by Frédéric over a number of years as founder and director of Art Plural Gallery in Singapore. During this time spent immersed in Southeast Asia’s art scene, Frédéric’s extensive expertise and knowledge of the region was constantly developed, establishing his place as a key expert to impart knowledge through such a report to an audience of interested art lovers and collectors.

Why the focus on the Southeast Asian art market as a starting point for the company’s launch? The answer lies not only in Frédéric’s personal locality, but as a response to a growing collection of research comparing the art markets of Hong Kong and Singapore.

Speaking of this shifting interest toward Southeast Asia, Frédéric explains:

“Singapore was taking the lead on many aspects, developing a Freeport, building museums, and inviting art dealers to establish themselves in the “Lion City”. My objective with this first ArtMarketGuru reports was to find out where the market stands now; where Singapore and its neighbouring countries are at the moment, and how it has it developed, in order to try to identify where it might go. In the last eight years, the Southeast Asia markets have developed, with Indonesia and the Philippines really coming into their own on the art scene. The report covers the sixty best artists in the region to collect and to monitor, as well as providing hints and tips as to what is likely to develop in the future.”

As author of this first report, Singapore-based journalist Jane Peterson interviewed artists, art dealers, collectors, auctioneers and other key market players; her unique position as an outsider to the art world providing a genuine and fresh perspective. As a journalist, Peterson found herself in a unique neutral position that allowed for a more open and honest engagement with the research and artists.

Frédéric discusses this collaboration candidly, expressing the effect that this perspective allowed:

“There is an increased demand for art market reports as people are more inclined to understand the market they are working within, and in which they are choosing to invest. There are so many scandals and complications within the art world that you need guidance to know where you are going and how to navigate through that world. The sheer amount of information readily available online and in print about the art world means that it can be impossible to know where to begin without drowning in it. There’s so much that you almost end up with nothing, with no specific information focusing in on an area. What Jane has created is an honest and accurate account of the up and coming artists and the motivations behind this shift. Collectors and investors can feel secure in the knowledge that her expertise in cutting to the heart of a story has driven this research, honing ideas that were previously too vague to grasp with any clarity.”

ArtMarketGuru aims to look beyond the surface, remaining holistic yet with a specific regional focus. Combined with the instinctual knowledge gained as someone internationally immersed in the art world, this report provides expert tips and specific artists to watch. The objective is to produce more reports, always with a regional focus, always having an approach that looks beyond the surface. Rather than just providing an overview and having ambiguous data, ArtMarketGuru can directly impact a collector’s decisions, as well as confirm the validity of a collector’s investments.