Hello dear readers and subscribers.
In the past, YouTube was predominantly seen as a space for entertainment, and it did not always correspond well with the professional expectations and the overall tone of the contemporary art world.
It was seen as space for entertainment, where there is a lot of flashy, exciting and clickbaity videos on them.
But recently YouTube has also become a platform, a terrific platform actually, with a lot of educational, top-notch content for the contemporary art lover.
It is to say that the art world has truly embraced YouTube, as it's not only the second biggest search engine, but it is also simply part of this rather hesitant generational shift in how we consume art differently.
As a result, in today's video i'm going to highlight 10 of my personal favorite youtube channels youtube channels from art world insiders, institutions and galleries who have truly embraced the power of youtube for community engagement.
Since 1994, Joss Baer's The Bear Facts has been a trusted source of insider knowledge in the art world in the form of a newsletter previously a fax to share the latest inside information.
On YouTube.
It brings this same authority into video form, offering sharp interviews with collectors, mega gallery dealers, curators and other art world experts.
So if you are curious about what happens in the upper echelons of the art market, of the art world, this channel delivers candid insights directly from those shaping it.
R21 is one of the most respected names in contemporary art storytelling.
It's actually a non-profit organization with the mission to inspire creativity by letting artists speak for themselves.
Their videos take you straight into the studios of leading contemporary artists, where you hear firsthand about their processes, ideas and challenges.
Few platforms bring you as close to the artists of our time as this one, so I highly recommend it.
In a similar vein and produced this time by the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark.
Louisiana Channel is a unique cultural archive.
Since 2012, it has published new videos every single week, featuring in-depth conversations with artists, writers and thinkers.
In the end, it became more than just an extension of the museum.
The channel has actually become a cultural platform in its own right, making it one of the go-to channels for art lovers on YouTube.
Up next a name that could not be omitted from this list, of course.
The Museum of Modern Art's YouTube channel brings the energy of New York's most famous institution to your home, to your screen.
From artist interviews and studio visits, and even tutorials, it offers an expert, yet accessible, in the typical style of a museum institution, of course.
Take on modern and contemporary art, making it the biggest arts institution globally, but also the second most subscribed channel on this list.
Founded by collector Gary Yeh, Artdrunk aims to make the art world more accessible, and it succeeds.
The channel takes viewers behind the scenes of various exhibitions and artist studios, all with a very fresh, approachable and often slightly offbeat tone, which I really like.
Beauty, culture and insider access.
Artdrunk makes contemporary art feel both inspiring and high-end, yet also very welcoming.
Mary Lynn Buchanan documents her journey as an art world insider, taking viewers along to galleries, biennials and fairs across the globe.
Her videos kind of mix professional insight with a personal touch, making them both very informative and also relatable.
For anyone curious about how the art world looks through the eyes of someone living it day to day, her channel is a great option.
Of course.
Known worldwide for its prestigious art fairs, Art Basel's YouTube channel generously shares the panel discussions presented during those Art Basel fairs, as well as more intimate conversations, not only with artists in their studios but also, for instance, with renowned collectors in their homes, discussing collecting art and their vision.
It's a rare opportunity to see the art world's leading voices in dialogue, captured with the high production values you'd expect from Art Basel.
Created by curator Sarah Uris Green, The Art Assignment is an educational channel that makes art history and contemporary art engaging for a wide audience.
Arguably making it the ideal channel for someone who is brand new to contemporary art, even though they are no longer publishing regularly.
Combining assignments, exploring movements and thoughtful reflections on big questions about art.
The channel succeeds in demystifying art while keeping it fun, light-footed and approachable.
As one of the most influential art magazines since the 1960s, Artforum has built a strong digital presence to complement its print legacy, especially now that the media landscape has shifted even more from print to the digital and from text to image and video.
Its YouTube channel may not yet rival its magazine in reach, but the quality of its video interviews with artists is simply outstanding.
So for thoughtful, well-produced insights from leading figures, Artforum is a certainty, also on YouTube.
And to conclude, many of the world's top galleries are now also active on YouTube.
Think of some great channels with great video production, from White Cube, David Zwirner and König Gallery, among others, who regularly publish about their artists and the exhibitions they have in the gallery.
These channels offer direct access to the programs shaping contemporary art today, allowing viewers to experience what's happening right now and where, in a way that feels far more engaging and immediate than, let's say, reading another press release in your inbox.
They also stand as clear evidence of how fully the art world has embraced YouTube as a platform for dialogue and community engagement.
Some might also wonder where are the artists' YouTube channels.
And this is actually quite interesting to see that either the established artists are still rather hesitant in terms of what content to publish.
Actually, the content is either very experimental or of a low production value, making these channels underperform, but also are not as appealing, for instance, to follow the channel of a White Cube, of a David Zwirner.
For now, the YouTube channels by artists that are performing well are still a bit more the typical YouTube vloggers.
People who operate outside of the art world.
So an artist who is sharing their experiences from the perspective of the artist in the art world system.
That's something we still aren't seeing enough or not at all entirely.
So I warmly invite artists to start doing this as well.
I think it is very important in these alternative circuits from the perspective of the art world.
YouTube is not an alternative circuit is the second biggest search engine after Google, so it is actually yeah, one of the biggest circuits of content, of information.
I think it's important that people with adequate information and background claim that space for art, for the sake of art and the art world.
So, for now, the artist YouTubers that are doing well on YouTube are predominantly the ones who are actually outside this art world, who are going for the more self-represented career path, very often adapting towards a more influencer model where actually the YouTube views and income is the core of their business, one would say.
This can often make it a difficult question for artists who are considering to pursue yeah, a career path in the contemporary art world, who are pursuing gallery representation etc.
And wanting to do youtube because there is not really anyone who is kind of taking the lead here.
Well, be a trailblazer.
This is also exactly why i started a more personal youtube channel where i will also discover my art and my journey as an artist and where I'll try to combine this legacy of the professional expectations of the art world versus the more inflourish model that was typically associated with YouTube and kind of find a new synergy in that.
More than welcome to see you on that channel as well.
Thank you so much for tuning in today.
Feel free to watch our video on 10 high impact open calls for artists that are open right now.
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