Paddle8.com and the Armory Show held their press conference this morning but not before giving an exclusive to the Wall Street Journal which reveals the details of the partnership as well as one clever strategic use of the arrangement:
The Chelsea-based David Zwirner Gallery is taking the latter approach with a solo installation by Michael Riedel that will be available both in the booth and on Paddle8, along with supplementary works by the artist available solely online
“It’s a great platform for an artist like Riedel, who will debut a site-specific work made especially for our booth at the fair,” said Julia Joern, the director of marketing at David Zwirner. “And as soon as he installs it, and as soon as it can be photographed, we’ll also be able to share it to a much larger audience though the web.”
The value of this partnership is the fair’s ability to magnify itself at virtually no cost and Paddle8.com’s opportunity to work with a number of galleries that might be hesitant to sign up with the service. The next few weeks could be a crucial moment in the nascent art transaction platform’s trajectory.
An Art Fair’s Online Gamble (Wall Street Journal)