The studio visit is a tradition that has existed in the art world throughout the 20th century.
There is no app or website for studio visits. Artists and investors we’ve spoken to are surprised that a platform for this doesn’t already exist.
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People use are.na and Instagram to set up studio visits, but we think there could be a more focused protocol for this.
The work will be discussed in tandem, ideas shared, and mutual opportunity identified. It’s common practice, but a bit awkward because sharing contact information, aligning schedules, and establishing interest isn’t fluid given that everything happens in person. Difficulties are compounded across cultural / software boundaries, especially between western and Chinese artists.
The studio visit differs from a meetup or coffee visit because it works as an autonomous space for discourse creation. People speak and share work discursively: feedback and/or criticism is given and shared in a way that is interpersonal, not strictly personal. The studio visit is a way to socialize one’s working environment: it’s about finding colleagues, not just making friends. It can be as casual or as formal as one chooses.
An online platform has yet to exist for studio visits, but the protocol already does IRL. We're going to formalize the Studio Visit as both productivity scheduling app and social media platform. Our team will perform research, design, and engineering around how artists can not only represent themselves and their own practices, but also others that they have a stake in.