The British art market is severely underfunded and continues to be victim of further financial cuts, this comes as recent news unveils £50 million worth of cuts to be made over the next three years within London’s publicly funded art venues. Galleries such as Camden Arts Centre are experiencing their subsidies dropping from £920,000 to £600,000, leaving some of the country’s most talented and emerging artists scrambling to find place to showcase their work. However, IBA, The International Body of Art – launches to give underrepresented artists a platform, by helping artists acquire funding to hosting an immersive programme of exhibitions and public installations. Headed up by curator Maria Artool and arts practitioner, April Kelly – the platform seeks to break boundaries within the industry.
Amidst what is already a difficult landscape for the arts, governmental data reveals that museum and art gallery visitation numbers have fallen by 40% over the past two years. With artists being chronically underpaid and university courses being culled, the public disengagement in art acutely affects young people looking to get into the field. Removing the barriers to practice and patronage, IBA represents a new way to bring knowledge to the public through its curated public programme – including exhibitions and installations by some of the country’s most promising artists.
IBA’s programme of exhibitions and installations offers the public an opportunity to engage and immerse themselves in the work, allowing audiences to touch the artwork and connect with the artist themselves – turning audiences into active participants.
IBA’s exhibitions only cost £50 for artists to enter, and each artist supported by IBA is hand-selected by their team of expert curators. Exhibiting artists are introduced to IBA’s pool of curators and art experts offering mentorship, and are also placed within a network of likeminded practitioners. Patrons who choose to support IBA are introduced to the inner workings of curating an exhibition, and have the opportunity to collaborate and engage with the artists – offering insight into the art world and facilitating the relationship between artist and patron.
