What kind of art is trending in 2023?

It is difficult to disagree with the statement: the purchase of works of art is different from the purchase of other items. The fact is that art is a commodity presented (as a rule) in one copy. Or it is a very limited series of works. So this is a unique experience. However, cultural consumption is also part of the market. And the market, as you know, has its trends. These trends are not constant and vary from time to time. In this article, we will talk about art market trends for 2023.

First, it is worth noting that now — more than in any other period — social media are coming to the fore. Boston-based designer Kathy Rosenfeld believes that social media has created an artistic boom of sorts. Why? The answer to this question is simple: virtual platforms, social networks, and photo- or video-sharing sites have made art accessible like never before. This is where we’ll start.

So, on the one hand, the digital environment really reduces the distance between us and art. Painting, sculpture and other types of culture no longer seem so elitist and closed. Mass character is what the virtual environment brings into our lives. But, on the other hand, experts are recording more and more fatigue from the online format. After all, it has become ubiquitous during the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, people are starting to move away from the endless browsing of Facebook or Instagram. What kind of replacement for the online format do they find? This is trend number 2 — design.

 

Sean Anderson, a designer from Memphis (USA), claims that the public is rather tired of leisure on the Internet. They have seen a lot of videos, guides and other life hacks. And now they are eager to put it all into practice. It just so happens that the easiest practice is to work on decorating our own homes. The fact is that accessibility is not only about seeing works of art. We also feel freer to create them. Art stores offer us a variety of products for arts and crafts. What does it mean? This tells us that art is losing its role as “art for art.” It becomes more practical and applied.

 

New York designer Philip Gorrivan says:

📌 “If a room is a symphony, art is a sonata: no symphony or project is complete without it.” 

This means that we can no longer imagine an interior without art. And when designing rooms, their décor is necessarily taken into account. Sometimes the design even comes from the opposite: first, the décor appears, and only then — everything else.

 

Millennials are the most active in the arts today. They feel natural in the current environment — a combination of online and offline. Sotheby’s reports in recent years show that it is millennials who buy the most works of art. Interestingly, they are all newbies, not seasoned collectors. In addition to painting, they show particular interest in the categories “Watches”, “Wine”, “Design”, “Books” and “Luxury Goods”. In addition, there is a growing interest in art installations (up 181% in the last year).

 

Let’s go back to Sotheby’s. Surprisingly, recent reports indicate that people are more interested in NFTs.

 

📌 NFT = (non-fungible tokens) = “non-fungible token”. Tokens are a ledger entry within this blockchain. A distinctive feature of most tokens is the principle of fungibility. However, not all digital assets are fungible. The picture of Pablo Picasso is not identical to the work of Claude Monet, and the mp3 file with the song by The Beatles can hardly be replaced by a recording of Eminem’s concert. Therefore, the format of non-fungible tokens was created to transfer unique items to the blockchain. Tokens of this kind were created back in the mid-2010s, but the first NFT projects became available only in 2017.

The so-called redesign is also becoming more and more popular. But what is it? For example, you have old furniture. Let’s say it’s a very old cabinet. You will need to restore it, put it in order, and paint it. This, of course, can be done for you by a specialist. However, it is much more interesting to do the restoration yourself. The most fun part of the redesign is the décor. You can use stencils for your cabinet, paint it yourself, or use ready-made kits from an art store.

 

Finally, another trend that is gaining momentum is artistic prints. This trend is associated with the growing mass character of art. Not all people can afford expensive originals. Or just not everyone wants to spend money on it. Therefore, today there is a good alternative to buying originals — art prints. These are copies of works of art printed on special equipment. However, these are not exact copies. Because each print is accompanied by the signature of the author. Prints are always produced in limited quantities. Therefore, they are unique and their value increases.

 

If you want to learn more about artistic prints, you may be interested in the following articles:

 

🎨 How to create prints of your art?

🎨 How to sell prints of your art?

 

Social media opens up huge opportunities for us not only in the field of communication but also in the field of art. In addition, if earlier works of art were associated with necessarily large expenses, today the situation has changed. You can choose a design or work for any budget. But what else does the Internet allow us to do?

 

 

So, it remains to find out what collectors and art lovers are buying this year. What styles are in fashion right now?

 

1️⃣ First, the public is increasingly beginning to appreciate the meanings inherent in art. That is, here we see the influence of conceptualism. For example, works by contemporary artists such as Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama are in fashion today. The work must touch on important social and political topics, concerning the problems of ecology, equality in society, and global peace.

 

2️⃣ Secondly, it cannot be said that contemporary conceptual art is more popular today than traditional art. Classics are always in demand. And 2023 is no exception. So, people continue to buy large canvases with landscapes or sea panoramas.

 

3️⃣ Third, a survey from 1stDibs suggests that sculpture and other 3D arts are also trending.

 

4️⃣ However, back to styles. Abstract art remains in first place in terms of popularity (54%). On the second — contemporary (48%) and modern (42%). More and more people prefer works with a pronounced texture and relief.

5️⃣ The main trend is a mixture of genres and styles. We see all this in design. Art begins to actively mix with design and decorative and applied works. For example, more and more customers turn to artists with interesting and unusual orders: paint the walls in the house, make handmade furniture, complement the décor of the apartment with artistic modelling, etc.

6️⃣ In addition, the interior is often dominated by works with humor, which make you feel freer at home. Art, therefore, continues to play not only a serious role but also an entertaining one.

 

7️⃣ Do not forget about the popularity of photography and portraiture. Today, people have more opportunities to get an education in the field of art — even at home, to expand their horizons. Therefore, interest in photography as an art form is also increasing.

 

It is curious that minimalism was at the top at the beginning of the millennium. People avoided overloading the premises with objects, and furniture and preferred simple white walls. Today, everything has changed: we are increasingly turning our own homes into real art galleries. We surround ourselves with beautiful objects and works of art. Therefore, the art market is growing. And this trend will continue this year.

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