Rosita Mariella Rosita is an art historian and researcher based in Madrid. She’s been working in the art market since 2015, for galleries and collections based in London, until she joined ARTSVP in 2021.
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Eye of the Collector’s new home, the Garrison Chapel, image courtesy of Peter Bennett.
Established in 2020, Eye of the Collector is a unique art fair with a special focus on curated exhibitions that harmonise with historically significant buildings in London. We have been speaking with Nazy Vassegh, its founder, to learn more about the fair's vision, growth and ambition.
How would you evaluate the overall success of the fair, considering factors such as sales performance, audience engagement, and overall visibility?
So far we are delighted about how Eye of the Collector has been going from strength to strength. We launched our first digital edition during Covid as we were unable to hold a fair in real life and were amazed at the positivity of the response from all around the world. We have now staged three physical editions of the fair supported online by Christie’s and Artsy and I think it is fair to say that collectors have responded very positively to the domestic scale of the fair coupled with the sense of creative discovery. We always wanted Eye of the Collector to be far removed from the white tents and sterile environment of traditional art platforms and for the journey in real life and online to be more like walking into an imaginary collectors home. Rising visitor numbers, increasing engagement, rising sales and the incredible press coverage are all testament to collector’s appetitive for something new and relevant.
What is the price range of a piece?
Prices range from a few thousand pounds up to millions for the highest price works. When you enter a true collector’s home, rarely do you find only priceless works on show. Normally these star works are complimented by less expensive pieces that have been purchases of passion, brought back from travels or handed down through the generations. Similarly we highlight the work of young talented artists and designers alongside their better know counterparts. At the first edition we were lucky enough to showcase an early Freud drawing of Pauline Tenant that was available for around £3.5million. This was a rare museum quality work, enjoyed by everyone that visited the fair. There are always a few highlight works at each edition.
Who is the average buyer?
It is difficult to define an average buyer as the range is so broad. As an example of this at the the last edition we arranged for one sculptural piece to be shipped to a collector’s residence in Vietnam and another to a stately home in The UK. Paintings left for new homes in Ibiza, New York and Dubai amongst others. Today’s marketplace is very global, empowered by the support of our digital partners.
Have you noticed an increase in the number of young collectors, who are often seen as a growing and vibrant market segment?
Yes for sure. Young collectors are becoming more and more important, especially when looking at enquiries through our digital channels. They are often very well versed on their favourite artists and eager to learn more.
Your team has successfully implemented exceptional online viewing rooms for your fairs. Are galleries seeing increased sales?
When we launched online we knew we wanted to do something different, something that was representative of our aesthetic and creative in approach. Rather than just the standard white box format of the traditional online viewing room we decided that we would only show works online in situ juxtaposed against the backdrop of the historic setting of the fair. This created a dialogue between the works and their architectural setting and raised the bar for the whole online viewer experience. The results have been extraordinarily successful with some clients purchasing a whole room’s worth of works. Galleries that have embraced the opportunity are definitely seeing the value of these online activities in terms of sales and it is fair to say that we have all been surprised at the number of collectors willing to purchase sight unseen works online from a trusted source such as Eye of the Collector.
What were the key challenges associated with these viewing rooms?
Like all shows, be they in real life or online, a combination of factors is required to deliver success. The ideas behind the show, the curation and the works themselves need to be strong and most importantly work in a viewing room context. It is, for example, much more difficult to sell monochromatic or subtly textured works when looking at them solely on screen compared to strong graphic or colourful artworks. The challenge of getting the right audience to view the show online is no different in principle than that of a show opening in real life. You need the right press talking about you, the right word of mouth with the right people and consistent and frequent marketing activities to keep energy levels high throughout the duration of the show.
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Eye of the Collector deviates from the typical art fair setting with unique venues. What are the primary challenges and limitations associated with this choice and do envision maintaining this format for future editions of the fair?
The idea for Eye of the Collector came about when we walked out of a show staged in an incredible palazzo in Venice during the Biennale and noticed the joy on the faces of the collectors we were with. We started wondering why art fairs didn’t engender the same reaction and whether it was possible to change the formula to make the whole experience more pleasurable. Choosing to stage our shows in interesting architectural spaces is therefore at the heart of our proposition.
Following the success of the 2023 edition, this year’s Eye of the Collector will be held in the 1859 Grade II listed Garrison Chapel at the Chelsea Barracks between 26-29 June 2024. The Romanesque-Byzantine style Garrison Chapel, which was deconsecrated in 1990 and now belongs to The King’s Foundation, will provide a unique setting for collectors to discover carefully selected art and collectible design spanning 150 years of art history, from Modernism to the present day. From the outset we wanted Eye of the Collector to be a successful, creative art platform for galleries, artists, and designers, and one that collectors look forward to and have a strong affinity with. To that end we are bringing a fresh, new perspective to our fourth edition at the iconic Garrison Chapel in the Chelsea Barracks. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our stunning new location in the summer
The fourth edition of Eye of the Collector will be held in a new venue: the 1859 Grade II listed Garrison Chapel at the Chelsea Barracks from 26-29 June 2024.
As a fair with a deliberate focus on a smaller, more sustainable scale. Data captured on ARTSVP shows attendance in 2023 increased by 80% compared to 2022. As you look ahead to future editions, what are your intentions regarding the fair's growth?
We very much intend to maintain the boutique domestic scale of the fair, wanting visitors to feel like they are invited into some curious collector’s home. Although we don’t envisage the scale of the fair changing too much, we are open to alternatives in the future.
Could you provide insight into the criteria that galleries must meet in order to be featured?
We invite galleries from a wide spectrum of disciplines to apply to Eye of the Collector. In the first three editions we have showcased a broad spectrum of periods from antiquity through to contemporary works created especially for the fair. We always look for quality in programming combined with an openness to embrace our approach which is collaborative in nature. Once we have received all the applications we then take a long hard look at the mix to ensure that the balance is correct and the presentation feels fresh.
Which other art fairs worldwide would you consider to be similar to Eye of the Collector in terms of their approach and concept?
There really is nothing that is comparable to Eye of the Collector. Fairs that are breaking the traditional model in their own way and that we like include Felix in LA and Nomad.
As an esteemed connoisseur of the art market, and also a collector yourself, could you shed light on the current popular trends in the art market?
The art market is in a state of constant evolution and I try not to get too tied up in the trends of the moment. I look for originality, quality and that ethereal something that affects me personally. My advice is always to buy what you love.
Finally, as one of ARTSVP's earliest clients, we've benefited from your feedback to further streamline the operations of the fair. What have been the main benefits of using ARTSVP for handling all VIP invitations and public ticketing?
We have been delighted with our partnership with ARTSVP from the outset. The ease of use from our side, the built in intelligent functionality and the genuinely considered user experience make ARTSVP stand out. People love the reminders they receive and the maps. We love the easy scheduling of specific time slots and the way that we can then communicate with our exhibits who is coming to the fair and when.
What features/updates on ARTSVP are you excited to see in the future?
We excited to hear about the development of an onsite POS (Point of sale) solution that is fully integrated with ARTSVP. This will allow us to consolidate all tickets sales and streamline accounting.
Written by
Rosita Mariella
Rosita is an art historian and researcher based in Madrid. She’s been working in the art market since 2015, for galleries and collections based in London, until she joined ARTSVP in 2021.
