Dealers, Galleries and Artists

Vincent Anthony Falkiewicz

Erica Gilbert-Levin  

Meet Iwan Wirth, the man who has claimed headlines in recent years as "bigger than Saatchi," an art dealer whose risks, particularly in a recessive market, have paid off, and to whom artists become as loyal as he is to them. Wirth, "one of the most powerful art dealers in the world," according to the Telegraph, has become a brand name unto his own, sufficiently reputable in the art world that, like other "branded dealers," his "choices and judgment" have "become a substitute for, and certainly [...] a reinforcement of, aesthetic judgment" (Thompson, 14).

Wirth has developed a keen strategic repertoire in his dealings with artists and collectors. He is highly dedicated to his artists, many of whom he discovered in their emerging years, took financial risks on, and supported throughout their careers. As a result of this attentiveness and fidelity, Wirth "has never lost an artist – not a mean feat in an industry where contracts are rare and mutual love is all that keeps artist and dealer together," writes Miller in the Telegraph. In W Magazine, Wirth explains his strategy this way: "You're very close with the artists and you become a part of the creative process, and that gives you credibility with collectors."

Wirth's risk-taking extends to the art and its marketing itself: He possesses a "Rumelstiltskin-like ability to fashion gold from thin air, or rather, ideas," writes Miller. This ability is likely due mainly from his already-established cultural and institutional legitimacy in the art world: His name has become a brand (Thompson, 14), and with the already-established trust and reassurance that name proffers, it hardly matters what kind of art he promotes; it is more important that it is Wirth promoting it. This is why the Tate, MoMa, and Whitney don't appear to blink as they shell out millions of dollars for Wirth art that "you might willingly pay not to be dumped on your doorstep" (Miller).

Wirth is "forward-thinking," always looking for areas of the art market that have not yet been trail-blazed. To this end, he has needed "to invent different schemes and use different tools to get attention," W Magazine reports. "Along with a well-trained eye, those tools included deep pockets and plenty of patience." He exploits his connections, targeting markets neglected by other giant dealers like Larry Gagosian. Unlike the "New World moguls Gagosian often deals with, Wirth's clients tend to be seasoned collectors, including families that have been acquiring art for generations" (W Magazine).

Art Dealer Iwan Wirth

References:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-features/8050798/Iwan-Wirth-the-dealer-whos-bigger-than-Saatchi.html

http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/36023/art-dealer-iwan-wirths-flawless-record-how-the-simpsons-tracked-down-banksy-and-more-must-read-art-news/

http://www.wmagazine.com/artdesign/2009/12/iwan_wirth?currentPage=1

Kimberly Ann Phoenix