Although video art is now a widespread phenomenon, it is not yet a hit with galleries offering this art form. Video art now includes traditional - analogue - film and digital video, as well as video games, phone apps, virtual reality, etc. What is striking is that prominent cultural events such as the Venice Biennale or the Documenta in Kassel often show a lot of video art. Among the artists nominated for the important Turner Prize are often video artists. For example, all 8 artists shortlisted for the 2018 and 2019 Turner Prize 2018 and 2019 produce video art. Due to improvements in technology and a growing interest on the part of curators and museums in the medium, the collection of time-based media - which includes sound and performance art - has grown significantly both institutionally and privately since the 1970s. Still, the market for video and virtual reality media is lagging behind that of more traditional media such as painting and sculpture, but it is improving. Large sums are now being paid for work by video artists such as Nam June Paik, Stan Douglas, Bill Viola, Gary Hill, Tony Oursler, Cyprien Gaillard, Shirin Neshat, Korakrit Arunanondchai, Sharon Lockhart, Steve McQueen, Jesper Just, Cao Fei and Xu Zhen. The Asian art market in particular shows a growing number of - especially - young art buyers interested in video art in the broadest sense of the word. Advanced digital technologies that make it possible to create virtual 3D spaces, video screens that run across and past each other and projections on the inner and outer walls of large buildings challenge artists to experiment and expand their visual language with virtual interventions and projections.
For this Collection I immerse myself in the - relatively unknown - world of video. And for 2021, I intend to devote more time for time-based media: projecting it or just watching it on my laptop and give myself the time to dive into the virtual world of video art.